Eternal Bond
by AnimeCookie93
Summary: /Cover drawn by MISOGURL on deviantART\ .:. Zeki / ...because no one can break a bond made to last eternity. COMPLETE.
1. 18 December

**Eternal Bond**

~o~

_White snow._

Sixteen year old Yuuki lay sprawled out in the soft sparkling snow in her puffy pink jacket. Her shoulder-length chocolate-brown hair was buried beneath a thin layer of snowflakes, her cheeks rosy from the cold and her breath coming in white puffs in front of her. Her red and pink striped hat was pulled over her eyes and her long legs, covered in black cotton leggings, were open and spread apart as she let the cold air blow over her petite body.

Students had gone home to escape the cold weather, most likely sitting in front of fireplaces wrapped in incredibly warm clothes. They'd be spending time with their families, the room in their house little to none due to relatives coming over for the holidays. _Yeah,_ Yuuki thought as she looked to the side, drawing little figures in the soft white crystals. _Who'd want to squeeze through doors filled with your family members only to be squished more at the kitchen table, or on the couch? Who… Who'd want that?_

Her – mouthed – words came out in puffs in the cool winter air, and she sat up slowly. Snowflakes fell from her soft brown locks, and she tugged her jacket tighter, keeping in what little body heat she had left. She'd been out for hours it felt like – her legs were icy and her arms surely had little goose bumps – but she didn't care; she'd rather be frozen in time.

Footsteps crunched in the snow but Yuuki didn't look at the figure. Her body was completely numb, as were her emotions. Her cheeks felt like they had a thin layer of ice on them; had she been crying? Is that why her skin felt like that, so tight? She closed her eyes and continued to sit up before looking in front of her at the silver-haired boy she adored so much.

"Yuuki, you're going to get sick if you don't get inside…" his smooth baritone voice whooshed into her ear, carried with the winter wind, and she gave him a small smile as she visibly shivered, her teeth chattering. Zero frowned and walked over to help her walk, wrapping an arm around her back to keep her steady. She said something under her breath, but the silver-haired vampire didn't hear it. Or, if he did, he simply pushed it aside until he got her inside; she was surely freezing.

"Yeah…" once they got to the door of the Headmaster's private villa, Yuuki turned to Zero, fresh tears brewing in the pit of her stomach, clouding her vision and burning her chest. Zero's arm fell to the girl's waist, but she didn't mind. Her shoulders shook violently as another winter chill swept their hair in their faces. "Zero, do you think my parents know I'm here? Or that I'm alive?"

The Level D's frown had already surfaced, but he tried his best to be comforting by moving the hand from her waist up to her head, rubbing her head affectionately. "Yuuki, I'm sure they're out there. But you have to remember, things happen for a reason, for the better." He was right; all she'd been thinking about since the first Winter snow the past week was if her family was seeing it, too. With a nod, he opened the door and practically pushed her inside.

**-x-**

Once Yuuki was seated in front of the fire, Zero felt he could start the preparations for their dinner. The Headmaster, as part of the Hunter's Association – whether he liked it or not – attended several meetings between what he knew best and the ones that challenged everything he strived for. Knowing it would be difficult albeit possible to dissuade the Senate, he bid his farewell the previous evening and promised his return sometime the next week. This left the two teenage friends home alone.

Zero never once denied his devotion and loyalty for Yuuki. Since he heard the sweetness in Yuuki's voice, he knew he loved her. It only made it harder he couldn't have her, because she was Kaname's property. At least that's how he viewed it. _And I could never steal what isn't mine to start with._

The skillet sizzled as he dropped the butter into it, melting on impact, the salty smell wafting into the fair-haired vampires face. He loved cooking, at least when everything turned out right. His food was much preferred to the Headmaster's… concoctions. At least his had flavor, compared to the blandness of Headmaster Cross's recipes.

The recipe book was open to Yuuki's favorite treat, which would be dessert: a fruit parfait made especially by Zero's hands. He'd picked up all of her favorite fruits and yogurt the following day while supposedly on a mission, so Yuuki didn't question why he left without inviting her. As he dropped the bag of shrimp into the pan and turned down the heat a bit, he heard sniffling in the next room over and turned halfway to look at the door, lavender eyes scanning his surroundings. He turned back to the skillet and heard nothing.

However, seconds later as he stirred in some olive oil, parsley and a bit of salt, he felt two arms wrap around his middle and tears soak his long-sleeve shirt. He stopped his movements, not wanting the girl to move where she was, but instead half turned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She adjusted, laying her head on his chest, tears falling onto the floor.

Because of his heightened senses, Zero didn't even have to pay much attention to the moisture on the back of his shirt to be able to tell she was crying. "Yuuki, what's wrong?"

At first, there was no answer. Just silence, and sniffling. But when he did get an answer, he felt his heart break. "Do you think… my parents didn't want me? Is that why I live here, and not with them?"

His heart, half-mended thanks to Yuuki's and Headmaster Cross's constant care and love, shattered once more. Turning of the heat, Zero moved one hand to her back and the other on her head, pressing his lips into her hair. "C'mon, be realistic," at first, it sounded almost scolding, and Yuuki sucked in a shaky breath. "Who wouldn't want you?"

Yuuki didn't know the full truth behind Zero's words, but she was thankful that he said that. She never would've been scooped up into her closest, dearest friend's arms and brought over to the couch. When they got there, she was placed beside him as he wrapped a blanket around her. "You do, too?" her voice was small, shaky, squeaky. _Shit, she's going to cry again…_ "You want me, too?"

"Of course I do…" he adjusted himself so that he had one knee bent upward, the other half-hanging off the couch. He pat his flat stomach, and Yuuki took no time oblige as she lay her head on his chest. He crossed his bent leg over his other as it flattened on the couch, and the petite brunette used his thigh to rest her bottom on. "It's like I said. Who wouldn't want you?"

It wasn't long before she drifted off to sleep, Zero's fingers combing through her hair to relax her.

_I want you… more than anything else._

* * *

><p>Hi!<p>

I... am seriously back into this series. And this is a possible Work-in-Progress... I haven't completely decided, which is why it will remain ongoing until further notice. Basically, I wanted this to be a Christmas, slight A/U from Guilty, Zero and Yuuki slowly get together fic. I've had this idea for a couple of weeks now~

The quality (NOT the quantity) of reviews is what will determine continuation of this, so please send me your thoughts and constructive criticism. I swear, I don't bite.

(Zero does, though. -SHOT-)

~Cookie

**PS : I don't own Vampire Knight or the characters associated with it. If I did, the series wouldn't be a short 26 episodes and Zero and Yuuki would be canon already. (There's hope, though! Kaname's temporarily OUT OF THE PICTURE. Let's keep it that way~ ;D)**


	2. 19 December, Part I

_Alone. He felt so alone, sitting on the bed that wasn't even his. A young boy, dressed in loose sweatpants and a long-sleeve shirt, silver hair clouding his pained lavender-gray eyes, dragged down by bags. His face was pale and a frown dragged his normally somewhat-cheery demeanor downward, painfully. Everything about him shouted __pain__. _

_His family had been ripped away just as quickly as his human life had been. Two marks on the left side of his neck burned but were closed, covered by gauze, freshly changed by his teacher. He could smell his own blood through the bandages, his nose and throat on fire and his eyes tearing up as he fought himself. His arms wrapped around his legs as he buried his head in his knees, sucking in a trembling breath. He felt so alone right now…_

…_until a soft knock echoed through his room. _

_Usually, at his home further north, his door would be left ajar so whoever was there (be it his mother, father, or Teacher, as Ichiru would already be inside his bed) could go right inside. However, he'd been sure to shut the door nice and tight before he'd gone into his current position, which he stayed in for well over an hour, it seemed. Hoping the person on the other side would go away, he didn't answer and locked his gaze with the carpeted floor. Another knock, a bit more confident and determined, followed. He didn't answer again, burying his head in his knees now, silver hair shading his knees._

_Suddenly, after moments of silence, the door swung open slightly and a tray, filled with his dinner: leftover stir-fry atop rice in a special sauce simmered with just the right amount of spices (you can tell, because Zero's portion was all that was left, that the Headmaster hadn't made it, thus making it edible). To drink, he'd been brought a glass of iced water, the condensation dripping down the glass. "Zero, I brought you some leftovers… since, you didn't come downstairs."_

_That voice, high and oddly comforting to him, belonged to the daughter of the man who'd taken him in, Yuuki. She was a petite girl, one year younger than he was, with wide crimson eyes and long chocolate-brown hair. The distraught twelve year old looked up just enough to see her through silver bangs, acting almost as a barrier so she could not see the pain in his eyes. He moved arms from his legs and allowed the bottom half of his face be seen, though it was dragged down in an almost impassive frown. _

_Yuuki walked in slowly, her slippers dragging along his carpeted bedroom floor. The tray was set down on his bedside table as she crawled in front of him, resting her hands on his knees as she peeked at his face. "Zero, are you alright?"_

_Something inside him, a warm, swirling feeling in his stomach made him answer her, but the answer was almost too soft for her to hear. She felt a pang in her heart and she pushed his legs gently down, him obliging and flattening them, his socked feet hanging off of the length of the bed. He closed his eyes, or tried to, before they widened and his breath hitched. Warm arms had wrapped around his neck, nose burrowing into his hair as he sat there in pure shock. "It's alright, I'm here for you."_

_Those words,__ a voice whispered in his head, __were meant for someone else.__ His vision became blurred as he fought off tears of anguish, but he felt a soft kiss on the bandage of his neck, and blinked the tears away. The young girl looked at Zero and flashed a small smile, a tiny glint of determination in her eyes. "It's going to be alright, because I'm always going to be with you, Zero."_

_Suddenly, a rush of emotions rushed through the young boy; why was she being so nice to him? Didn't she know what he was inevitably going to become? Was it sympathy, or genuine warmth she was giving him? For now, he didn't want to care. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her petite body, returning the hug he'd given her, and letting one single tear roll from his eyes and off of his nose onto the bed. "Yuuki…" his voice hid the pain, for now. However, the girl wasn't convinced that he believed her. Letting her body act of its own accord now, the eleven-year-old pulled his body down with her, his head on his pillow as she lay her head on an identical one beside him. She caught a glimpse of his beautiful lavender-gray eyes and stared into them. _

"_I know it's going to be hard for you," she said quietly as she reached her hand up cup his face, fingers behind his ear as her palm lay on his cheek. "But I am here for you, to talk to and lean on. Father is, too." _

_And, that was it. That was what ultimately made his wall collapse. His shell was now broken; he put his fingers into her long brown tresses and pulled their faces to each other, resting his forehead on hers. He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. Yuuki's heart skipped a beat as she cradled his face, smiling in triumph that she'd cracked his shell. "It's okay." _

_Moments passed like hours, the two young soon-to-be friends lying beside each other, arms cradling each other's faces. Zero's arm was loosely on Yuuki, as if he was trying not to hurt her, while Yuuki had provided the right amount of pressure to show him that she was there. He didn't seem to complain, because he'd slept soundly the entire night, with her beside him. Little did they notice that this is how the first couple of months were to be._

**-x-**

Zero opened his eyes slowly, adjusting to the dimmer light as the large fire from before had burned to red embers. He hadn't realized that he himself had fallen asleep, but felt so much more rested nestled on the couch.

However, it wasn't just him nestled on the couch.

A more petite body breathed softly on top of him, and he let out a small breath as he realized his childhood friend was here with him. But, not just with him… _on top of_ him. He swallowed, suddenly feeling self-conscious, his heart beating with a loud _Thump!_ in his ears. Her warm breath was near his neck – he realized that she had scooted upward while they were sleeping, and her face was on his shoulder and her arms on his chest – and it nearly tickled him. But he didn't laugh. He shivered instead, his lips parting to suck in a quiet breath. _She's killing me right now…_

Once more, she adjusted her body. Her hand, once clutching his shirt, reached up to sit nicely on his tattoo as she snuggled her forehead against his neck. A soft sigh came from her and Zero was near panicking; didn't she know what she already did to him on a daily basis? He adjusted himself, tightening his arm resting on her waist so she wouldn't slip from his body, both of his legs on the opposite arm of the couch and his head tilted toward hers as he inhaled her scent; unlike other girls in their class, she didn't smell girly, flowery, or even fruity. Her scent was… rustic. With just a hint of cinnamon. It completely enticed him.

"Nn…" a small moan was whispered into his neck and he shut his eyes before turning his head just slightly to look at her face, crinkled and pale. "Z-Zero?" Yuuki's voice was coated with sleep, and he refrained from chuckling to grunt a reply. Big mahogany eyes opened to stare into lavender-gray, and he could see the faint hint of tears at her eyes as she tried to adjust to her vision.

"Morning," he whispered, loosening her waist and letting his arm bend to hold her head as she stretched over him. She let out a cat-like yawn and pushed herself upward, bracing herself as she let her hands rest heavily on her childhood friend's chest; something in the way he spoke to her was almost calm, not cranky like always. Blaming it on her rather fragile state last night, she sat herself on his lap, him sitting up to meet her eyes. "Do you feel better?"

_A lot better… _"Ah, yeah, I think so. To be honest, I don't remember much after we got inside." _The change in temperature must've messed with my head_ she promised herself, and the boy nodded. His eyes were distant for a moment but her voice seemed to call him back to reality. "Did you sleep?"

"A little," he said simply, shaking his hair from his face in one sweep – and, had Yuuki been standing up, her knees would've buckled and she'd have lost her balance – as he stared into her mahogany eyes once more. _I could lose myself in them if I… _"I fell asleep shortly after the fire died…"

A pregnant pause ensued as the friends just stared at each other, a small smile on one's face and a slight frown contrasting it. Although words need not be said, they felt as if they'd pull their own hair if no one spoke. With a slight sigh, Zero slid Yuuki off of his lap and got up, stretching his long muscular body, even letting his pale stomach show. _He's so… un-Zero like now… _Yuuki observed as she, too, stood up and stretched. Another moment passed on and Yuuki nearly sprinted toward the door of the Headmaster's bathroom. "I CALL FIRST SHOWER!"

"Yuuki!" Zero yelled as he reached out to grab her, but it was too late. Her chortling "Ohohohahahaha!" reverberated through the hallway and into Zero's pierced ears, and he couldn't help but let out a low grumble as he went to the kitchen to clean up their half-prepared dinner.

_That girl… she makes me want to…_

* * *

><p>And, feel free to complete that thought with any word you like. I prefer to use the perfect finisher: "...she makes me want to grab her and kiss her." |D Pfffff. Don't take my Zeki-obsessed mind seriously. Not anymore.<p>

That is the second installment. I was hoping to have more written for you, but figured if I wanted to meet my mental deadline, it HAD to end here. Next chapter is when we get a bit more in the Christmas spirit. (Despite tonight being Christmas Eve? xD) A little shopping, ya know. Hey, maybe they'll finish cooking the previous night's dinner! :D

...okay. You know what to do. Please review! (I got such good feedback last time, so~ The more positive the reviews, the faster I -try to- get these chapters completed. So, yeah!)

~Cookie

**PS: **I just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, filled with love and laughter. Deep words from the not-so-deep authoress. Heh.


	3. 19 December, Part II

I've become aware that all of my chapters thus far (which _is_ only 3) have ended with Zero thinking something. Well, I'm pretty sure this is the last chapter that ends that way. I hadn't noticed I'd been doing it. If it bothers anyone, I apologize. If not, well, then I don't!

Onward!

* * *

><p>Yuuki bounced into the living room from her bedroom, sporting her winter favorite: a dark blue sweater knitted by none other than her foster father (with a white snowman in the bottom left corner), a pair of black leggings which tucked into her dark uniform knee socks, and a long green-plaid skirt that flitted about her hips like water from a waterfall. Her hair, tousled from her towel-drying it, was darker from the wetness but seemed to fluff in an almost afro-like manner. She was glad it flattened when she brushed it, she'd look positively silly.<p>

"Zero, are you ready yet?" Zero had been in the shower for about twenty minutes, which was _plenty_ long! She managed to shower for only fifteen, and she had more to wash than he did! Jeesh, he sure was a lazy…

"Will ya' quit nagging me?" his laid back voice rang through the hallway and the brunette spun to let his figure sink into her mind; he was taller, lither than she was, but his skin was much paler, as was his hair. Certain things brought out his eyes and the light that danced within them, which is why he usually let Yuuki do the shopping… anyway. He sported a new top she'd gotten for him; a black Tee with the school's emblem painted in silver in the middle and a pair of dark blue jeans with a rip in the right knee. Yuuki bit back her squeal; he was one of the few people she knew who could probably pull this look off.

Over his shoulders was an unzipped, dark blue sweatshirt with the strings pulled one longer than the other. This irritated Yuuki and she crossed the living room just to fix it. Her friend didn't seem to care as he shook his wet mop, and she couldn't help but groan rather loudly and glare up at him, her cheeks and nose covered in water. "You jerk!"

"What? Water can't hurt you." The silver haired boy deadpanned.

"It could've if I got some in my eye!" The brunette shot back.

The Level D, bored with where this conversation was going, rolled his eyes and grumbled an apology, though it was half-hearted. Content with his having given-up, Yuuki squealed with glee and tugged on his sweatshirt and Tee, making sure he looked perfect before they went into town.

As the Headmaster was still away at his meeting at Association Headquarters, Yuuki and Zero were left to decorate the house without him. It was a pity, he always managed to have the house just the right amount of Christmas-spirity before Zero became his usual uncaring self. Well, now that it was the two of them, Yuuki was determined to get that smile out of him yet! With a swish, she spun on her heel and stretched her arms behind her back. "You ready to go?" she asked sweetly.

The boy nodded, not saying another word; he'd have been mortified if Yuuki had seen the look on his face when she'd been adjusting him. His cheeks resembled her puffy jacket, which was a rosy shade of pink, as his hormones ran rampant inside of him. With a small grunt, he tugged his sweatshirt close and went over to the coat rack to pick up his long trench coat, settling it over his sweatshirt as not to ruin what Yuuki had been so obliged to fix, only to have her rush right over to fix him again. This time, he batted her hand away. "We're going into town for decorations, not to a fashion show."

Yuuki pouted; he was always so mean. She was only being nice, it wasn't like she had licked her thumb and was pressing his hair down to tame it… though, and he did have his cowlick that seemed to stick up no matter wha – stop that! Yuuki pulled her thinner fleece from the coat rack and tugged it over her sweater, smiling gleefully as she looked at herself in the wall mirror before headed toward the door. Zero followed her, digging his hands into his coat pockets.

**-x-**

"Oh, Zero, what do you think of these?" Yuuki held a string of yellow-white lights in her hand attached to dark green wires; the lights blinked and shimmered in the light of the Convenience store, and illuminated the natural fair glow of Yuuki's skin under the fluorescence of the dimmed bulbs above them. Lips pursed as Zero took in the sight, not sure whether to grin and tell her perfect, or do what just came natural and deadpan his way out of answering her so that she may do what she wanted. The latter sounded much less embarrassing, so he went with it.

"They're fine," he drawled, combing his fingers through his silver locks. Man, he _hated_ shopping. Especially when Yuuki joined him; mind you, it wasn't because he didn't like her, quite the opposite. She seemed to drag him everywhere he _didn't_ want to go, but it wasn't like he could stand up to her (be a man) and say "Hey, I don't want to look at new skirts!". But, and he knew this quite well, she had him wrapped tightly around her little finger.

Yuuki's cheeks puffed out and Zero thought he saw smoke blow from her ears. "Zero, quit being so grumpy! Please, I want your honest opinion!" Yuuki grabbed a handful of colored lights in her other hand, now holding the yellow lights in one hand and the colored in another. Zero wanted to hit his head against a wall; he really, _truly_ didn't care. But, he saw the way Yuuki's eyes twinkled upon seeing the colored lights, and once again he refrained any sort of signification that he cared, pointing a bored – _supposedly – _finger at the colored. Yuuki squealed in excitement and put both back, taking two boxes of the colored and putting them in her shopping cart. "Oh, this is so much fun! C'mon, it's time to pick out ornaments!"

Zero offered to push the cart as Yuuki practically skipped down the aisles until she stopped in front of many different sets of ornaments; themed, glittery, ones with lights inside them, shaped, round, glass, plastic… it was annoying, honestly. But, he would deal with it, because it's what Yuuki wanted to do. The only thing he'd get to choose was the Christmas tree, which they'd be getting later tonight.

Just as Zero was about to grin at how much fun she was having as she put in three different sets of ornaments, the dreaded words left her lips so casually. "C'mon, Zero, now it's time to pick out my Christmas outfit!"

…_Damn it._

* * *

><p>Wahaha~ Poor Zero; I know firsthand that boys aren't very into shopping, especially when it happens to be with the girl you like, shopping for something she's getting for herself. Clothes, moreover. Bleck. -is a girl and doesn't like clothes shopping-<p>

... anyway. Please tell me how you like it. In the next few chapters, we get to see ... well, I won't spoil it. (I used to have this habit where I'd spoil information before you guys get to read it. I'd weened myself out of that habit, and almost fell right back into it. Bahaha!)


	4. 19 December, Part III

Zero was past the point of relief when he deposited his debit card into his leather wallet and tucked it into his pocket, grabbing the bags from the check-out counter and headed toward the door. Yuuki seemed rather content with their shopping trip, having filled their cart with lights, ornaments, and two blow-up lawn decorations. Not to mention the outfit Yuuki had purchased for herself and the one she had purchased for Zero. (I mean, come on; he never got to pick out his own damned outfit! It was like she was babying him or something!)

_Thank god… now we can go home…_

Zero looked around for a moment before asking Yuuki softly, "Can you take a bag for a second so I can get the keys?" Yuuki obliged, taking one – the biggest one – and flashed a bright smile as he rummaged through his pocket for the car keys. Out of the two of them, only Zero received his driver's license not months before. Yuuki begged the Headmaster to let her gets hers, but he told her that he would prefer waiting one more year.

"Zero?" Yuuki's voice was bright and innocent, but almost to the point where what she was about to ask was anything but. The fair-haired boy in question pulled out the keys, doing a move where he tossed the keys into the air and caught them as if it was an amazing feat. The girl giggled, earning a small twitch of his lips, and walked around to the passenger's side, peeking at him over the roof of the car. "Do you think on the way back, you can drop me off at the market? I want to get yours and Father's gifts."

Blinking, the Level D nodded. "Uh, sure. I was going to go to the Ramen stand anyway. Where do you want to meet up?"

Yuuki opened her door and sat down, Zero following suit in the driver's seat, and both closed their doors one after the other – for bragging rights, Yuuki's closed first, as was obvious by her mini-victory dance – and then glanced at her childhood friend. "The tea room?"

_Great. The 'parfait' place…_ Zero knew it was her favorite eatery; she always got a jumbo sundae and, to wash it all down, a warm cup of cocoa. She especially loved to go there in the winter and, because it was winter in every possible aspect, he wasn't surprised she suggested that place. With a sigh, and as he started the ignition and put the car in drive, he gave her a sideways glance and nodded. "Sure. What time?"

She looked at the clock on the radio: Ten thirty-seven in the morning. If she were to complete all of her shopping, she'd need at least two hours. As she buckled her seatbelt, Zero doing the same, she visibly brightened and chirped, "Twelve-thirty?"

"Sure." Zero off-handedly agreed, now distracting himself from Yuuki and focusing on the drive to the market.

The ride, though only mere moments, was actually very content. The radio was down low on a station that played a variety of music, from Jazz to Country, from R&B to Rock. However, most of the time the songs weren't even sung, and the sounds of masculine chuckles and feminine giggles filled the car. Zero made fun of infomercials between songs and Yuuki joined in singing the jingles at the end, and Zero teased her about her inability to sing in the right key.

_Tch… like Zero would know, anyway! _Yuuki thought stubbornly as she grumped the rest of the ride to the market, where Zero pulled over to let her out. "Remember, twelve-thirty, the Tea room, after you're done shopping. If you beat me there, get your sundae-devouring done so I don't have to see it." Yuuki puffed out her cheeks, though her friend took it as an agreement, and chuckled. Yuuki bade him a grumbling farewell and dashed off.

Meanwhile, Zero stepped out of the car, took the keys and stuffed them in his pocket before walking in the same direction toward the Ramen stand.

**-x-**

"Ugh, the _nerve_ of that Zero!" Yuuki grumbled as she walked into a Clothing store, her feet knowing where to go as she stalked toward the men's section; Zero, though only seventeen, had the muscular build of a male adult athlete, with his broad shoulders, lean torso, and long arms and legs. He towered over her and was only a _year_ older!

…she was welcoming her growth spurt with open arms.

She stopped in front of the shirts, examining the colors and textures. Because his skin was much fairer than her own, she had to be careful of color coding; if she bought white, he would like entirely of a ghost but, if she bought something too dark, it would only make him look… weird. So, she traveled from the section of lights to the slightly darker colors, but not the too-dark colors.

Something blue or red would match his style, she thought.

**-x-**

Zero stared into his bowl of salt Ramen, wondering how long it had been since he'd pushed open the door of the shop and ordered his food.

He supposed, because the food was still steaming but barely so, that he'd been there for about fifteen minutes, but that couldn't be right… that would make it close to eleven o'clock.

He was a regular at this stand, Zero was. The owner he knew quite well, from his first times exploring the market while the Headmaster would send him on private errands every once in a while. Yuuki would normally go with him had she not already been in school (**1**). Ever since then, this was his usual hang-out when he needed somewhere and some time to himself to think things over.

Unlike Yuuki, he had gone shopping for her gift closer to a month before today, because he didn't like waiting until the last minute. He'd put a lot of thought into her gift, using his knowledge of the kind of person – _young lady_ – she was and what would mean the absolute world to her. He hoped it really would.

"Well then," the stand owner wiped off the counter by Zero, causing the boy to lift his head up, not noticing his bangs had shaded his eyes and made him look upset. He blinked in confusion as the man grinned. "What were you thinking about this time?"

A sigh followed, and Zero knew that because this man only knew Yuuki from his exasperating stories, he had nothing to lose. There was no way his words would be repeated and, if they were, no one knew his name. "…okay. It goes like this…"

* * *

><p><strong>1 <strong>- Zero didn't go to his first year of High School, as was stated in the manga (and, possibly in the anime, I can't remember at this point in time) so I'm making it so the Headmaster would make him go on errands so he wasn't bored.

So, there's the fourth installment of this MASTERPIECE. (LOLNO) This _entire_ story is full of miniature arcs; I swear to you, this arc (which had it's official start in Chapter 2) takes place over 4 or 5 chapters. And, it's all one day. You can tell I want this to be significantly longer than my other stories.

Hmm... As far as the last part there, I _know_ Zero wouldn't just, you know, _say_ what it was he was thinking about. So, don't call me out on that, please.

As always, please review and tell me what you liked, didn't, did today, wished you had done today, etc. (I'm nosy, but I _CARE_.) I really like the feedback I've gotten back thus far, so.

-Cookie-


	5. 19 December, Part IV

It had been what felt like hours that Yuuki had stared at the pendent around the manikin's neck. At first, it didn't seem very 'Zero' to buy him any sort of jewelry, but she took a closer look and smiled lightly; Zero almost always used the things she bought him, whether it be a new shirt or some take-out Ramen. She'd even bought him a new earring and new ear cuff for him to wear at his last birthday. But, she had to beat that.

The pendent had a thin chain that dipped low to the manikin's chest and had a silver dragon perched in the center. But, what made this different from any other pendent was that it had a pair of tourmaline jewels – Zero's birthstone, as he was born in October **(1)** – right where its eyes would be. The detail was remarkable; it looked like the dragon could break its silver seal and fly off into the distance. Zero was a bit mythological as of late, reading textbooks about Greek mythology when no one was looking (he, of course, could _never_ hide something like that from Yuuki!), so it would've been the perfect gift she could offer!

The only downside to buying this pendent was that it would wipe her wallet clean of any money whatsoever; she was given only so much as an allowance, after all, and _had _been saving up since only _God_ knows when. She wouldn't be able to buy a parfait, she realized, and for a split second she second-guessed herself. But, her hand reached for the pendent and took it into her hold, pulling it close to examine it better. She _had_ to get it. Not getting it was _not_ an option.

"Okay," she said to herself with a confident grin, "I'm getting it! I will get this pendent!"

…a rosy blush bubbled to her cheeks when she realized the few people in the same area as she had turned their heads to watch and managed to chuckle at her. They obviously have _never _found the perfect gift for someone before.

The air around her was difficult to maneuver in as she went to the cash register. She'd _never_ spent this much money on Zero before and had almost wished she could again. It was a rush, getting something that may actually hold some real value for the boy she'd come to like and care about so much. _I know he's going to like it_, she thought to herself as she handed the pendent to the cashier and dug around for her wallet and hand the man the exact change. _Or, at least I hope he does…_

Yuuki left the shop feeling victorious. All of her gifts the previous years had been mediocre to put it lightly; she'd gone so far as to completely forget about a Christmas present and only gave coupons to the Headmaster and Zero. She'd felt so badly about it, but this year was different. A proud smile was plastered on her face as she absently walked toward the Café.

She hadn't realized that someone had taken a fancy to her and had begun to follow her.

It would be about ten minutes before she reached the Café, and she still had some time to kill, so she took the scenic route through the market. She stopped at stands and talked to vendors who seemed to recognize her and asked her where her taller friend was. One even called him her father until she burst out laughing with tears of complete amusement in the corners of her eyes. _He's not my father, _she thought as she waved and began walking again, _but I do love him…_

…_like, uh, one. _Her mind finished lamely, and she stopped walking as her crimson eyes widened. What _was_ Zero to her, and her to Zero? She'd always liked him, and cared about him, just like a best friend should. She said she 'loved' him all the time, but it was because he'd help her or because she'd say she loved something _about_ him. Somewhere, in the pits of her stomach, she knew that Zero unlocked a whole new sensation for her when he talked to her about nothing at all. When he bit her, it was almost the same sensation, but it brought a blush to her cheeks. She'd even smiled gently the last time, though that was almost two weeks ago. For some strange reason, his thirst had almost receded some, as if something much more prominent was fighting it back…

…her wandering mind screeched to a halt as she sensed something behind her.

She'd walked herself in front of an alleyway, which wasn't very smart of her. The market was filled with people, so she could cry out for help if she wanted to. Her lips trembled in silent fear as her shaking fingers reached for Artemis only to realize she'd forgotten it on her bed. _…oh, shit_, she cursed silently as she turned her head slowly over her shoulder. A tallish woman looked back at her, long, flowing hair obscuring her eyes from the Guardian. The latter was close to relieved and slowly released the breath she'd been holding until the woman lifted up her head, the hair falling away from the fire-red eyes that burned themselves into Yuuki's mind.

"Level E…" she breathed as her heart beat fast and she looked around; she could totally jump up the alleyway wall and climb up it had she wanted to risk her life, but she promise Zero she wouldn't be reckless. However the street was too cramped with vendors ahead of her and too many people flooded the small canal. With a gasp, she ran into the alleyway if only to protect the other people in the market.

As expected, the Level E followed her with a betrayed air of poise about her. Yuuki pressed her body against the stone wall, her heart beat ramming against her chest in low, loud thumps. She was afraid… _so afraid_. But, if she let the woman see that, she'd be devoured for sure. No, she had to put on a brave front until she knew for sure she could get away.

Suddenly, the Level E lunged with lightning speed, claws extended and fangs menacing. Yuuki let out a shriek as she ducked and pushed herself away from the wall, rolling on the ground; she cursed herself for wearing a skirt, but was slightly relieved she was wearing a pair of shorts underneath. She rolled herself a few safe feet away from the opposite crumbling wall and jumped back onto her feet. A frozen puddle stretched two feet in front of her to her own feet and she cursed herself as she lost her balance momentarily; she wasn't accustomed to running let alone fighting in these conditions.

The Level E took a few steps back from the wall, glancing at its hand, the claws having been broken off by the wall. Her fingers were bleeding, pieces of stone dug into her fingers, and for a split second Yuuki thought she felt it. However, blood-red eyes met those of the scared Guardian, and Yuuki faltered a moment trying to catch her footing once again.

"Blood…" the woman called, the almost-moan reverberating off of the walls and back into Yuuki's face like an unpleasant breeze. The winter wind whipped outside the alleyway as footsteps closed in. But the Level E didn't cease her plea as she suddenly dashed forward. A gust of wind blew Yuuki's hair back and she squeezed her eyes tightly, waiting… but the pain she envisioned never came. A warm splatter on her cheeks and the iron-y smell of something she only knew as crimson blood made her senses run wild, and her eyes shot open, her vision blurry as her fear became prominent. Slowly, she turned her face upward only for her vision to swim before her as her body fell downward.

Yuuki was knocked out cold the moment her head collided with the black ice beneath her.

* * *

><p><strong>1 <strong>- I "Google'd" when his birthday was, and found out it hadn't actually been released. However, I saw about 3 times that he was born on October 24th. While I hold no claim to the actual knowledge of his birthday, I do want to say that for this fic, it's what his birthday will be.

...okay! I was going to post this next week instead of this, but the suspense was killing me. (It tends to do that. .-.) Since I'd uploaded a week or so earlier last time, I decided to do the same. There will be one more update sometime this month, I haven't actually decided when, but the chapter's ready for it.

Let me know how I did? Reviews (especially support and concrit) are welcomed with open arms and Zero cookies~!

-Cookie-


	6. 19 December, Part V

The sound of a car door opening before her and the cool December chill wafting into her face was what woke Yuuki. Her eyelashes fluttered open and, the moment her eyes tried to adjust to the setting sun shining in her face, squeezed shut again and a groan escaped her throat. She didn't want the sun to be in her face, but was pleasantly surprised when she felt a familiar set of arms pick her up onto a hard, but warm surface. Her legs instinctively hooked around a person's hips and her arms wrapped around his neck.

As Yuuki made herself comfortable, the person wrapped his hands under her thighs to keep her up and tugged her upward. A sigh escaped her into his ear, tickling the sensitive skin at his neck, and he shivered as he bent down to retrieve the bag of gifts for himself and her father. Zero let out a soft sigh of his own; he'd let Yuuki go off alone, even though she had a habit of attracting Level E's… seems he wasn't the only one who wanted her.

_But_, he thought as he beat the cruel thought back, _they want to devour her… I would never…_ he trailed off as Yuuki tried to speak, only for a hiccup to come out instead. If he wasn't careful, she'd start to cry. "Yuuki?" he spoke softly, though there was no hiding the worry and compassion in his voice. "Are you alright?"

Yuuki's body tensed then before she began to tremble slightly, though not for too long before she buried her face in his neck. He paused as they came to a bench and let her down. She faced him, tears being fought back as hard as she could, and he pulled her gently beside him. However, she lost her footing and toppled onto his lap; while the teenage boy inside him grew suddenly _very_ conscious of where she'd landed, he let her get comfortable as her fingers grabbed for his shirt. Her body was wracked with harsh shivers and loud sniffles and whimpers, and his arms wrapped around her petite body. "It's alright, Yuuki. She's gone; nothing will hurt you anymore."

The girl clutching at him didn't say anything, but only cried harder. He was surprised she'd kept the tears in as long as she had, but then again, she had been unconscious for a few hours; it was nearly five in the evening now. His hand slowly crawled up her back in order to hold her head closer to his chest, while his other arm circled around her waist, his fingers on her hip. "I was…" her voice was hoarse and soft, but he managed to comprehend what it was she was saying through her sobs. "…so scared, I…" _That vampire… is going to eat me! _

"Stop," Zero said gently as he laid his cheek on the crown of her head, smelling her unique scent, closing his eyes. "I've got you, calm down. It's okay."

Knowing they had things that needed to be done, Zero picked Yuuki up again, though this time it was rather uncomfortable; his best friend side had melted away the minute Yuuki's legs locked around him again, but this time… instead of her on his back, she was clinging to his front, her legs hooked around his stomach and her arms hugging around his neck. Lavender-gray eyes stared down at her, unsure of what to do or say, and he fought every urge to blush or stammer. He swallowed and, instinctively, wrapped his arms around her and began to walk slowly in the direction of the Headmaster's villa.

**-x-**

When Yuuki got inside, she all but collapsed on the sofa, throwing the bags of decorations and her gifts at her feet as her legs sprawled. Zero was rather amused by this, however he kept a calm look on his face as he carried in the other bags and kicked the front door closed with his foot. "You know, you could've slept in the car, numbskull."

Yuuki wanted none of his joking; she was almost devoured, _again_, and he insisted on making fun of her! "Shut up, will you?" her voice was none too threatening, though she had a frown on her face which begged him to be kind to her this _one_ time. He obliged by shutting his mouth, swallowing his _"I'm just pointing out the obvious" _comment down and shaking his head of shaggy light hair; it had begun to snow again as they'd walked back to the Headmaster's villa. Yuuki smiled gratefully and kicked off her boots, snuggling into the arm of the sofa.

_It's so warm here…_ Yuuki thought as she curled up into a ball, staring at the wall. A flutter in her stomach made her turn and stare at the ceiling, into the light flicked off above her; the tone Zero had used with her – _only_ her – was so gentle and completely unlike how he acted at school. She loved and somewhat appreciated that he let his guard down with her and let her see the sweeter side every once in a while. But, she hated the feeling it gave her, something she couldn't quite place.

"I know that he's my best friend," she said softly for only her to hear, a light blush sweeping across her cheeks. "But… is it possible that he's more?"

**-x-**

Zero was confused beyond comprehension.

He cared for Yuuki, _so_ much, and was relieved that she was too oblivious in her own little world to be able to notice. But, he was also a bit angry that he couldn't make himself any clearer. He always worried about her and had devoted himself to her. Over a year ago, he'd told her that he lived for her and that she could do whatever it was she wanted with his life.

He was her savior, in more ways than one, and she was so much more than that to him; she offered her blood to him whenever his eyes would glow that familiar blood-red which signified his lust for blood flaring. Every day, she gave him that same smile, even the morning after he'd bite her, as if their forbidden, unforgivable act was much less than reality. He could be killed, but he wasn't who he was worried about; Yuuki wouldn't be able to handle being locked in a cell at the Association for her willingness to feed a monster like him. They'd rip her apart, in a matter of speaking.

Zero shook his head; it was very nearly Christmas, and he was thinking such negative thoughts – though they were very different from his usual 'I'm a despicable being who doesn't deserve his next breath' thoughts . He should really stop that, it upset Yuuki. _And, if she is upset… I'll never forgive myself for being the reason why._

With a sigh, dragging one of his pale hands through his hair, he went back into the living area only to see the beloved girl who constantly plagued his thoughts sleeping already on the sofa, her eyes closed with tiny droplets on her lashes. His eyes softened as he stood up to grab his coat and draped it over her body, making sure her top half wasn't exposed as he rubbed her hair back. Refraining from dropping a kiss to her hair, he walked around the sofa and into the kitchen to start their dinner… which happened to be the half-finished meal from the night before.

* * *

><p><em>This one was a bit short, I apologize. I'm doing my best not to upload everything I have to motivate me to get writing, but alas, I have a schedule. <em>xD

_If there are any errors, grammatical or otherwise, please let me go; I didn't look this one over quite as closely due to... well, laziness. _|D _So, my bad. _

_Please review! Reviews, believe it or not, will definitely make chapters come out quicker! (Only because I love you guys, of course.~)_

__-Cookie-

**PS** - There's this awesome Let's Player on YouTube I want to tell you guys about. He plays horror video games, such as the 'Penumbra' trilogy, and Amnesia The Dark Descent. He's fairly new to YouTube, only 2 weeks ago he started an account, but he's already do popular and I promised I'd help him out by spreading the word about his channel. Please, if you all are interested, go to YouTube and search _markiplier_. He's got over 100 videos already, and it'll be most appreciated by him to have more subscribers~ Please do so if you're interested in laughing your butt off while also screaming like little girls~! ;D


	7. 20 December, Part I

Zero never understood why Yuuki found such great joy in taking him places. After all, they had _very_ different definitions for the word 'fun'. While he'd much rather stay in his dorm and read or do his homework, she'd much rather waste the day away going into town to her favorite café with her friend Yori.

But, with Yori home with her family – much to Yuuki's misfortune, as the laid-back red-head was the only one who actually enjoyed doing things with the energetic brunette – Yuuki didn't have anyone to take with her. And, for some strange reason, an idea had formed in her head that her silver-haired friend would want to go with her. Well. He wasn't going to be the one to tell her 'No', but he really, _really _didn't like shopping. At all.

However, this was _his_ day. The Christmas gift shopping was out of the way, the decorations for the interior and exterior of the Villa were laying out on the dining room table for the two to put up, and all that was left was for them to pick out the Christmas tree, which was reserved for the evening so that they could do whatever last minute things they had to do in preparation for the upcoming holiday.

And, oh, what a relief it was that the holiday was almost here.

Zero sat lounged across the couch, his nose buried in one of the Astrology books he'd borrowed from the school library before the librarian went home. (She was quite fond of Zero, actually, considering he always came in looking for research texts or just about anything to read. He'd read almost every single book in that place at least twice, if not more, except for the one he was currently reading.) Just as he was about to turn the page to look at the many different galaxies, a pretty brunette girl wearing a long-sleeve blouse and green skirt sashayed into his line of vision, batting her eyelashes at him.

_Oh, no…_

"Zero, guess what's on!" Yuuki chirped, and Zero closed his book. This ought to be fun.

"Uh, Jaws?"

Yuuki stared, dumfounded. "What? No! Guess again!"

Zero tapped his chin in mock-thought. "Hm. Ghost Busters?"

The fact that her childhood friend was being a smart ass made Yuuki puff out her cheeks as she smacked his stomach hard, and the aggravated brunette shook her head defiantly. "No, you moron! One more guess!"

_Might as well avoid getting beaten again_, Zero thought, rubbing his now-sore stomach, before he closed his book and put it on the end table, sitting up slightly to let her come around and sit down. With a sigh, he flashed a small grin. "Your _favorite_ Christmas special. Dr. Seuss' 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'. Am I right?"

Yuuki nodded excitedly and used her sweetest smile to persuade him to turn on the television. With a sigh, the silver-haired guardian obliged, handing her the remote control.

The living room in the villa was set up a little differently than the Headmaster's separate quarters in the school building. A two-seat sofa stretched in front of an Entertainment Center with a 20-inch television, a DVD player, and an old-fashioned radio resting on its own shelf. A picture of Zero, Yuuki, and the Headmaster adorned the second shelf where the DVD player sat, dressed in their pajamas from their first Christmas together. Zero wasn't smiling, but Yuuki and the Headmaster were. But, the soft, gentle gaze reserved only for Yuuki had first appeared in his lavender eyes that day.

On the other side, the side closer to the door leading into the kitchen, was a small fireplace with another small sofa in front of it and a wooden rocker beside it facing the fireplace. It looked rather elegant yet, at the same time, old-fashioned. Just the Headmaster's style, really, when one takes away the many layers he always bundled up in.

The TV sparked to life and Yuuki squealed and clapped her small hands together, pulling her legs under her body and sitting on her feet. Zero watched her, amused; she always had to sit in these strange positions when she watched television. Was he the only one who noticed? He secretly wondered if Kaname knew this… but shook his head. What did he care? He knew tons of other things that damned Pureblood didn't about his 'precious Yuuki'.

The familiar music played, and Yuuki couldn't have been any happier. Her crimson eyes scanned over the credits, the bright colors giving her a small headache, but it was the price one paid to see classics such as this. She looked over, her bright expression never faltering as she saw her partner looking at the screen; he looked like he was trying to enjoy it, but he kept squinting his eyes at the letters. "Um, Zero? Are you having trouble seeing the screen?"

Suddenly, Zero looked over at her, and Yuuki almost burst out laughing at the different expressions that spread across his face. At first, his cheeks were tinged in pink with embarrassment, but then he grew a bit irritated, his cheeks still that beautiful shade of pink. "No! I…" his face was hidden from her suddenly as he bent his head forward to hide under his bangs. The pink was still evident, and Yuuki scooted closer. "I… Ialreadywearglasses."

…_wait, what? _Yuuki tilted her head to the side and smiled a bit. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you, what?"

One of Zero's upper fangs slipped from between his pale lips to pierce his lower lip; was it really that embarrassing? Yuuki reached her hand out to touch his arm, and he looked back at her before getting up and dashing in the direction of his room.

Yuuki blinked once.

Twice.

Thrice.

"Um, Zero?" she said softly, before he came back holding a black case in his pale hands. The brunette watched him sit back down and open the case, and her jaw dropped; there, resting on a red velvet pad, were a pair of thin-rimmed, black glasses. He pulled them out, grabbing its left temple and tugging it with just the right amount of pressure for the glasses to complete unfold, and he slid them onto his face. All Yuuki could do was stare at him a minute.

And, Zero felt uncomfortable and squirmed a bit, giving her an unsure look. "When I was little I had this habit of always rubbing my eyes when I felt nervous, and I ended up damaging my sight a little. So, since then, I've had to wear glasses if I needed to see more than five feet away or so. I almost always wear contacts, because…" his voice trailed off, and Yuuki smiled sweetly at him.

"You're… it's because you're embarrassed, right?"

"_Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot…" _

Zero didn't answer but made no action to signify otherwise. Yuuki wasn't sure how to take this new information; he didn't open up a whole bunch about stuff like this. It had taken him four years – give or take – for him to tell her that he was a Vampire Hunter, and that he had a twin brother. Most information about him was told to her by her adoptive father, who'd brought him into his home with open arms. It felt so strange to be hearing this now; all she could do was smile at him. And, the silver-haired vampire's embarrassment was _not_ ceasing because of this.

Before Zero could even begin to think of something else to say to cover up his condition, two arms wrapped around his neck as Yuuki threw her body over his in a tight hug. He blinked at her, confused; why was she hugging him? Why did it _matter_, he should hug her back! But… what if this was pity? No, she didn't pity him.

And, while Zero fought with himself – because apparently, hugging her back wasn't going to be an option – Yuuki felt complete relief as tears of happiness threatened to spill from her eyes. This could only mean one thing…

That some of the old Zero, the one she didn't get to see, may be manifesting himself after his five year absence.

* * *

><p><em>...Kehehe~<em>

_Yes, to answer any questions, we do see snippets of what I believe Zero would've turned out to be - a much kinder, sweeter soul - had his parents not been murdered and his brother having left him to die. ...BUT ANYWHO._

_This chapter was mostly for fluff purposes; it's not necessarily important to the story's plot, but it's just... (It was almost going to be an 'Extra Chapter' for this story because of it's filler-like tendencies. But, I decided to just put it in as an official chapter. Oh, well~)_

_I hope you guys liked it!~ _:D _Please review and alert the story, there'll be more to come next month._

-Cookie-


	8. 20 December, Part II

Steam wafted into his face as Zero stepped out of the shower, a peaceful expression hanging on his pale features as he reached for his towel and wrapped it around his waist. Water dripped from his hair and onto his nose, rolling off and dripping onto his chest, and he looked down to watch it as if watching a bug scurrying around on a wall or floor; the thought didn't faze him, because bugs weren't truly anything to be afraid of. The water disappeared as it met with the cotton towel, and he sighed softly as he went over to look at himself in the mirror.

He couldn't quite put a finger on it, but he could feel something about himself was… different. Ever since a few nights ago, when Yuuki had one of her breakdowns and wondered if she was wanted by anyone… that's when, he'd told her…

_The recipe book was open to Yuuki's favorite treat, which would be dessert: a fruit parfait made especially by Zero's hands. He'd picked up all of her favorite fruits and yogurt the following day while supposedly on a mission, so Yuuki didn't question why he left without inviting her. As he dropped the bag of shrimp into the pan and turned down the heat a bit, he heard sniffling in the next room over and turned halfway to look at the door, lavender eyes scanning his surroundings. He turned back to the skillet and heard nothing._

_However, seconds later as he stirred in some olive oil, parsley and a bit of salt, he felt two arms wrap around his middle and tears soak his long-sleeve shirt. He stopped his movements, not wanting the girl to move where she was, but instead half turned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She adjusted, laying her head on his chest, tears falling onto the floor._

_Because of his heightened senses, Zero didn't even have to pay much attention to the moisture on the back of his shirt to be able to tell she was crying. "Yuuki, what's wrong?"_

_At first, there was no answer. Just silence, and sniffling. But when he did get an answer, he felt his heart break. "Do you think… my parents didn't want me? Is that why I live here, and not with them?"_

_His heart, half-mended thanks to Yuuki's and Headmaster Cross's constant care and love, shattered once more. Turning of the heat, Zero moved one hand to her back and the other on her head, pressing his lips into her hair. "C'mon, be realistic," at first, it sounded almost scolding, and Yuuki sucked in a shaky breath. "Who wouldn't want you?"_

_Yuuki didn't know the full truth behind Zero's words, but she was thankful that he said that. She never would've been scooped up into her closest, dearest friend's arms and brought over to the couch. When they got there, she was placed beside him as he wrapped a blanket around her. "You do, too?" her voice was small, shaky, and squeaky. __Shit, she's going to cry again…__ "You want me, too?"_

"_Of course I do…"_

It was difficult for someone _not_ to want her. Her eyes and smile were beautiful, more beautiful than anything or anyone he'd ever seen, and (although her voice could very well be distinguished as annoying) her voice was sweet as she called his name. She worried for him, cared for him, and couldn't be deterred if she wanted something bad enough. Stubbornness that rivaled with his own, the want to protect the ones she loves, and the need for closeness… she had so many strengths and, though she did have her weaknesses, she never let them run her life as he did his own.

She pulled him onto his feet after he'd been brought from his house, stained with his mothers and fathers, and his own blood, to the house of Headmaster Cross, and his only daughter who'd had absolutely no reason to, picked him back up and cleaned his body when he hadn't the will to live on any longer, let alone move.

But, it wasn't until just one year ago, the year when everything could've been taken away from him, that he realized she was so much more to him than he could've ever imagined; he knew he'd fallen in love with the way she cared for him and wanted him by her own side, but he didn't realize just how far she would go to keep him beside her… to even go so far as to offer her own blood in return for him to keep living. And, as he hated that he gave in every time since then, he tried to make it up to her by letting her see the different side of him.

The side of him no one but Ichiru could ever own up to seeing, if only he weren't the Senate's lapdog now.

(At least he wasn't Shizuka's.)

_But… ever since then, _Zero grabbed his boxers, letting his towel fall by his feet and slipped them on before tugging on his pair of green cargo pants, _all I want is for her to know that side. _

**-x-**

After her movie had ended, Yuuki had decided that she'd much rather be clothed in something _much_ warmer, as it was winter and they'd be going out at night. And, winter nights were always much colder than during the day, and it was close to below-zero that afternoon.

When she'd gotten into her room, a feeling of complete calm swept over her as she walked to her closet, taking out a pink sweatshirt decorated with the school's crest on the hood, smiling at it as she went over to put it onto her bed before walking over to her bureau, sifting through one of her drawers for green-tinted jeans. She threw those onto her bed as well and closed her drawer before going to her bed to undress and redress.

The jeans Yuuki had picked out were actually a pair of Yori's, she realized once she pulled them up to her hips and had started to button them. They were her favorite pair, and she wore them on their days off when she and Yuuki went into town. Since Yori was gone, she figured she could get them cleaned and folded neatly before her friend and roommate got back. Got back… from spending time with her family.

A sudden air of sadness washed over her as the familiar feeling of loneliness made her lower her head; she had completely forgotten about her not having a family. She'd been spending time with her best friend, distracting herself with just being by his side, taking him to town and focusing on the upcoming holiday meant to spend time with one's loved and cherished ones. Yuuki closed her crimson eyes, wishing her father was back home.

_I know he's at a meeting and he'll be gone for another few days, _her thought made her eyes sting and she opened her eyes again, buttoning her jeans and fitting her navy-blue sweater over it, examining herself in the mirror as she batted away the tears at the corner of her eyes and tugged on the pink sweatshirt. _And, I know that I like spending time with Zero, but… _The brunette looked out the window, to see it was snowing, and let her eyes be void of emotion as she walked to her door and opened it. _It wouldn't hurt to be able to spend time with my father, too._

As soon as Yuuki walked out of her room, she noticed the door of the bathroom partly open, a light blue towel hanging over the handle. _Zero… must be out of the shower now. _Something within her made her walk toward the door; if the door was open, she didn't have to worry about Zero being naked, at least below the torso. Curiosity got the better of her as she crept to the other side to allow her body to be out of his vision, pulling her hair out of the way, and creeping over the edge to see just what was…

_Z-Zero?_

* * *

><p><em>This story, I tell ya... I have a very strong connection and attachment to. Every word I type, every scenario I plan; it comes from a combination of my deepest fangirl fantasies, and my knowledge about the pairing and series, and... Asdfghjkl.<em>

_I hope you guys liked this installment; the next one will be up in late June. :) Thanks to everyone for their continuing support, favorites, alerts, reviews especially._

**BEFORE I GO. **I'm accepting requests for _The Princess and Her Knight_, and am processing ones I've gotten already. I can maybe get around to getting them completed by the end of the week, plus I have a special 'Summer' installment.

Anyway, thank you all so much! Please continue to review, alert/favorite, and give me suggestions for 'T-PAHK'. (- xD)

-Cookie-


	9. 20 December, Part III

Zero stared at himself in the mirror, his silver bangs falling over his violet eyes, normally filled with the many emotions that have coursed through his body over the last five years. Regret, loneliness, that hint of guilt… none of these, however, were evident as he stared at his reflection now. Calmness seemed to settle in the pit of his stomach, almost a happy sort of calm, ever since that evening two nights ago.

And, he couldn't quite figure out why the scene from just nights ago didn't stop replaying in his mind.

He knew that Yuuki felt lonely sometimes when she started thinking that eleven years ago, having been alone and frightened. He knew that, every time she looked at Zero after she'd found out he was a vampire, that there was a hesitance and, regrettably, just the littlest hint of fear in her mahogany-colored eyes whenever she looked at him. That night, when she made him drink her blood, the fear had flowed into his – the person who the fear was toward – mouth.

Pain suddenly swam through his veins and made him clutch the counter, his jaw tightening as he barred his teeth at himself. He always regretted hurting her, the first time, and all of the times after that. He was a monster, not just for drinking her blood, but for causing her so much more harm… and then trying to make up for it by absorbing all of the bad that ever happened just so Yuuki could try to move peacefully through her life.

But… while he always felt a deep regret for ever having drunk her blood, he couldn't escape the feeling in the pit of his stomach he got when he held her close, crushing her chest against his, feeling her arms come around him as she craned her neck to him. At first, her entire body would grow tense and a strangled gasp escaped her, but the more he fed from her – _come now, he wasn't __that__ desperate for blood __all__ the time!_ – the more comfortable she got. A shiver would run up and down her spine and a soft shudder would escape her lips. The last time, which was more than a few months ago, he thought he heard her moan.

Then again, it could have been the raging teenage boy inside him who'd given him such a thought in the first place.

For some reason, when he fed from her, he would want to take as much as possible, not to actually quench his thirst but just to hold her. To… to hold her as if he was doing the most despicable thing in the entire world. It felt strange to have his arms holding her tightly, her back arching into him as she only closed the distance between them. And, when he would pin her stomach and chest to the wall, instead of his tight grip on her wrists, he would rest his hands over hers or would wrap his arms on her arms around her stomach.

_I can't… escape this feeling I have for her. The one where… I…_

Suddenly, however, his thought that had given him a tight feeling in his chest had given a tug on his sanity and his throat suddenly became dry as a desert. He gasped for breath, his lips parting, his fangs lengthening as he watched his eyes glow red in the mirror; is this… how she saw him? A beast that struck fear even in a bit of himself, who had a huge distrust of any kind of vampire – _well, he knew some of the Night class meant well. Except for Kaname Kuran _– let alone a minor fear of them ever since his Master had lost his eye to that…

"Ggh!" Zero flinched away from the mirror, clutching his hair as he fought for his sanity, hoping the tug of his hair would remind him that he needed to fight it, but… it was all for naught. Especially, since he heard his friend coming out of her bedroom.

He all but rushed to the other side of the bathroom, crushing his back against the tile as his chest heaved, in and out, a deep rumble coming from deep within him. _N-No… not now… please, not now…!_

A small gasp made his head shoot upward, and he sensed the very thing he wanted to avoid right now outside the bathroom door, left ajar to air out some of the steam. _D-Damn it… I was doing so well until…! _He bowed his head as he heard the pitter-patter of his friends' feet shuffle in. "Ggh… Y-Yuuki, get… get out!"

"But, Zero!" her voice sounded very insistent, the girl pushing herself closer, resting her hands on his legs; damn, why couldn't he just sink into the wall? He tried, to no avail, moving his head to the side as he pressed his back as far as he could into the tiled wall. Almost to the point of it breaking. "Zero, please, you need this! You need my blood, so please… Please?"

Her hands had moved to rest on his cheeks, sticky from sweat as he fought himself, moving his head up slowly to stare into her eyes, wide with concern for _him_ and _no one_ else. "Yuuki… I…" his eyes narrowed not from anger, but need. His arms snaked around her form and he inhaled her scent, his lips kissing a spot on her neck, making her press herself into his chest. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers finding and clutching his hair. "I'm sorry, that I…"

"I know," she said softly, tilting her head to him. "But, it'll be alright."

Taking this as a go-ahead, Zero licked her nape, causing her to breathlessly cling to him before he sunk his fangs into her neck. And, even as he hated himself for taking the very life that swam through her veins, he couldn't help but realize that she was doing exactly that; giving her life to him, and in return, him striving to give so much more than that to her.

_Because, Yuuki… I can't stop myself… from loving you._

* * *

><p><em>...Hnnnng.<br>_

_I apologize for taking so long to update this chapter; a lot of real-life stuff had caught up with me, and I babysit for about 3 hours every M-F for the next two weeks, then I go on vacation, and then I babysit for 2 more weeks, and asdfghjkl.  
><em>

_Anyway.  
><em>

_I'm not sure if's a problem - and please tell me if it is - but I notice that I'm not really making any skips between days, making a ton of stuff happen in what, 7 days? I break the events of each day into separate chapters, so that something happens in each chapter to make sure no one is bored. But well, there was a tiny spell around where I am now (don't worry, I'm quite ahead of this chapter. I'm all set for a LONG WHILE) when I just couldn't write, because what I had was boring.  
><em>

_-Ah, sorry. Rambling.  
><em>

_Basically, if there's a problem with my separating days into multi-chapter mini-arcs, please let me know._c: _While it's too late for me to change it, I can know better for the future._

_Look forward to sneak-peeks of _Chapter 10 _on my page, __coming in 1 week!_

-Cookie-


	10. 20 December, Part IV

Snow fell around Yuuki as she stepped through the tree farm, located in a more rural escape than that of the more urban Japanese town in the north. They had traveled far from the Academy, more than an hour; the silvery-white moon was full tonight, looking down on them, millions of twinkling stars hiding behind the dark gray clouds from which the white crystals sticking to her hair were falling from.

"Wow, these are all so amazing!" Yuuki's voice rang like a bell in the near-silent farm. There were different sizes of trees around her, from shorter than herself to maybe taller than Akatsuki! A bright smile was plastered onto her fair features as she turned her head left and right to get glimpses of the many trees in this place.

Zero stayed silent.

He was always like this; always acting like he was taking her blood without permission, as if she wasn't giving him consent. Why did he have to be like this? She had told him plenty of times before that she was doing this on her own, no one was _making_ her do this for her best friend. No one was _making_ her care about him so much. So, why did he have to act like it?

Yuuki's steps fell in sync with his as he walked over to the area which held the less expensive trees. She even fell behind him a little bit, just to gaze at his broad shoulders and strong back. He'd grown up quite well, compared to her; she still hadn't the _curves_ other girls her age may sport by now, which made her pout and grumble every time she looked in her mirror. She knew that shapeless women were a turn-off for her best friend; he preferred cool, older women with curves and beauty to match. Both of which, in her opinion, she lacked.

_Why does that bother me so much? _

"Hey." Zero's voice cut through the cold night air and Yuuki twitched before looking to him. "Stop daydreaming, will you? I need your help, you know."

The two friends spent countless minutes trying to figure out which tree would actually fit _and_ look good _and _not take up too much space in the Headmaster's living space, before finally deciding that the cheaper trees were so much less than average. "Remember," Zero said softly, "We're on a budget, so don't go over to the expensive trees just yet. We'll go to the next sector first."

That was the most Zero had said to her since their episode earlier that evening, him pressed against the wall and her pressed against him as he drank her lifeblood from her. This time, she couldn't stop herself from the breathless gasp that had escaped her lips as his fangs bit down into her, but she wasn't sure if he had noticed in his condition. He was more desperate than he ever had been, and he'd taken just a little too much, but she'd eaten something to keep from getting too dizzy. And, while she still felt light-headed, she could carry her own weight just fine.

As Yuuki walked away from him, making her way over to the next area of trees priced just a bit more than these, Zero pressed his hand over his eyes; he didn't _mean_ to take so much. He felt so horrible now, and was surprised she wasn't jumping to his words – well, he _had_ surprised her by speaking so coldly earlier – like a frightened chi-

No. Yuuki wasn't a child anymore. She really hadn't been one, but she never had the ability to say so out loud.

_I didn't really, either. I was either training or caring for Ichiru. Both of which I didn't mind, but… still._

"Hey, Zero? What do you think of this one?"

With a sigh, the silver-haired boy turned around and made his way back to his partner, a warm look in his violet eyes as he saw just how excited she was to be out here.

**-x-**

It was cold.

So, _so_ cold.

Yuuki stood beside Zero as they waited to pay for the tree, her arms hugging around herself to trap in what little body heat she had left. They had finally found the _perfect_ tree and the _perfect_ price, and Yuuki couldn't wait to get it back in the car. …Though, part of this was because she wanted to feel the warm heat hit her face and blow her hair back.

"Alright," the tree-farmer smiled at the two before looking to Zero, who had taken out his wallet, "You'd like to purchase the six-footer, would ya'? That'll be…"

Yuuki zoned out as Zero and the man did their business, and she turned her head to look at the other choices of trees around her; they were all dark green, with bits of snow hanging off of their branches, and the rich smell of pine filled her nostrils as she took in a deep breath. Pine and… Zero. That's what she could smell, and she took a step closer to Zero only to find that a heavy fabric had fallen onto her shoulders. "Zero, what're you-?"

"I can hear your teeth chattering," he reasoned, adjusting his long-sleeve sweatshirt over his pants. A light blush made its way onto Yuuki's face as she risked looking up at her childhood friend, who in turn looked down at her with an attempted scowl. "Besides, the car isn't a far walk from here; I'll be fine."

_He's become so… thoughtful lately,_ Yuuki thought as she smiled softly and linked her arm with his. A surprised grunt came from him before he relaxed, giving the tree-farmer a nod as he stuffed his wallet back into one of his pant pockets and began walking back in the direction of the car.

The snow hadn't stopped falling around them, but it had slowed down, each of the flakes much bigger than they had been before. Pieces clung to the tips of their hair and eyelashes. They walked in comfortable silence, arms linked, Yuuki's small hand holding onto his sweatshirt. To anyone else, they'd have looked romantically involved, but to them, this was perfect. It was how they were with just each other, and no one else.

They'd gotten to the car and Yuuki, Zero, plus one of the tree-farmers farmhands had gotten the tree into the car. Zero clapped the man on the shoulder and had given him a bill, which Yuuki didn't see because he quietly motioned for her to get in the car and start it for him. With a smile, she got into the passengers' seat and started the ignition, turning the heat up and shivering as she waited for it to blow the warmest air in her face.

From outside, Yuuki could hear her friend mutter "Happy Holidays" and his boots crunching in the snow. She turned to him, flashing a smile – to which he rolled his eyes at – as he opened the door to the drivers' seat and closed the door afterward, sitting there, waiting for the heat to come on. When it finally did, he put the car into drive and pulled out, driving back in the direction of their home.

Yuuki stared out the car window until exhaustion overcame her, and she could distinctly remember the feeling of someone's fingers interlocking with hers before she gave in to her tiredness and fell asleep with a small smile on her face.

* * *

><p><em>I told myself I would upload this before I left for Maine tomorrow (Friday, 6 July 2012) as I'd be gone for about nine days, left to my writing and other vices. <em>;D

_If you liked this chapter, please let me know through a review, or favorite/alert it/me to your heart's content. But, the reviews are what drive this story, so make sure you do that, too. _^o^

_Happy Summer! And, I hope you all enjoyed your Fourth of July! (Mine was spent listening to a thunderstorm and playing Monopoly because the fireworks had been postponed. _-.-)

_-Cookie-_


	11. 21 December, Part I

"Oh, Zeeeeeeeroooooo!"

...the lilac-eyed boy groaned in his bed, the covers resting on his shoulder as the shrill voice of his childhood friend made its way into his ears. _Oh gods, why does she have to be a morning person?_ He thought as he scrunched his face together and tried to get back to sleep.

The girl who'd called to him just wouldn't have that; she opened the door to his room – the guest room at the Headmaster's private villa – wearing her father's pink, ruffled apron with a big kitty's head stamped onto it, and sporting one of his overly-huge nightshirts. There was a smudge of flour on her cheek and the smell of grease wafted into his room.

The girl who could barely manage opening a box of cereal had made breakfast. _May the house not burn down._

"Zero, you lazy bum, get up!" Yuuki smacked him on his rump with something that felt like a spatula and he whipped his head around, nearly spinning out of bed in the process, to glare at her. "There you go, you bag of bones! C'mon, I made you some toast and eggs, and there's ba- Oh, no!" her voice became shrill once again as she spun on her heel and dashed almost humorously back into the kitchen. He could hear her faraway voice, "Oh, no, I burnt the bacon again!"

His eyebrow twitched; she had the power to completely undo him, undo him and a Pureblood (he growled inaudibly at this), and she couldn't make bacon right. What was he going to do with her?

With a sigh, he got up out of bed and stretched his arms upward, scuffing toward the foot of his bed to slip on his light blue slippers, and looked at his face in his mirror – he didn't look as grouchy as he felt – before exiting his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

The sight before him, as he entered the foyer, was possibly the most pathetic thing he'd ever seen. Yuuki had a white glass plate with burnt bacon in her hands, her face dragged down in a pout as she gave him her most dismayed look she could muster – despite her being in a ridiculously good mood today – while she whispered, "I'm sorry, Z-Zero… I tried to make it right…"

_She knows I can't resist her when she's like this_… Zero dragged a hand down his face before taking the plate in one hand and ruffling her hair with his other. A small smirk ran across his face as he went into the dining room and placed the black crisps in front of where he'd be sitting and slowly made his way back to stand with her. "I'll make you a deal; I'll eat the charcoal on the plate in there if you do me one small favor."

Yuuki gawked at him; he never asked her to do favors. She swallowed. "S-Sure, anything!"

A serene expression appeared on his face then and his hand swept over her cheek. "No more pouting like that. You look like someone just kicked a puppy or something."

The brunette felt her face warm and she smiled, now that she knew her partner worried about her like that. But, his next statement made her swat at air, him having stepped out of the way before she could reach him.

"Besides, you'll get wrinkles if you do it too much."

Yuuki saw red. "Ooh! Zero!"

_Things are getting back to normal… thank goodness…_

**-x-**

Several minutes later, the two friends ate in silence. Zero had taken the pieces of dark bacon like he promised and Yuuki had a couple of pieces of the bacon he'd cooked to perfection on her plate, as well as two sunny-side up eggs and buttered toast sprinkled lightly with salt. A mug of coffee sat in front of her, its color light with cream and sugared to add sweetness. On the opposite side of the table, Zero munched on his dry toast, his egg having been devoured long before now, and his black coffee untouched and steaming underneath him.

And Yuuki, as she had promised, had a content expression on her face as she stuffed the different pieces of food into her mouth; Zero often mused where it was she kept it all. For, as soon as she ate it, she had to wash it down with something much less healthy, and still she had one of the highest metabolisms he'd ever come to know, and could work all the extra weight off in an instant.

"What are you staring at?" Yuuki sounded playfully annoyed that he was looking at her and she bit the inside of her cheek. This resulted in her stuffing a piece of toast lathered in melted yolk into her mouth, to which her silver-haired companion had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. The yellow goop had sloshed onto her face and around her plate; some even dripped down the collar of her – father's – nightshirt and onto her nighttime camisole, and she groaned in displeasure. This time, her friend snorted his amusement.

"You're a pig, that's what," his tone was playful, and Yuuki's eyes widened before she burst into a fit of laughter. Zero's light brow arched before he let out a soft chuckle and scarfed down the rest of his toast, taking a sip of his coffee before getting up to put his plate and the empty platters in the empty sink, starting on the dishes. Yuuki couldn't help but smile as she looked down at her plate, using her fork to draw a smiley face onto it with the leftover egg yolk.

_I knew it_, she thought with a light blush sticking to her cheeks as she too got up with her plate and mug and headed across the hall to the kitchen. _It wasn't just a 'feeling', this is real; I __like__ Zero._

While Zero worked on the dishes, Yuuki made her way into her bedroom to quickly disrobe from the nightshirt and into her school uniform, an outfit she donned quite often. Her fingers worked expertly with a dark clip with a butterfly on the end, pushing some side strands of her chocolate-brown locks back out of her face. The thought of her liking her best friend – the way the Day Class girls 'liked' Aido or Kaname, she admitted silently – was completely and utterly silly… or, at least it sounded that way. Zero and she had always been by the others' side, no matter what boundaries they'd crossed. Together, with the Headmaster and Mr. Yagari, they'd overcome more than any other person in the Academy.

They had a special bond, more special than Yuuki's and Yori's or, dare she admit it – and somewhere deep inside, it hurt her to do so – than Yuuki's and Kaname's. And, it wasn't just because of the fact that she willingly gave to him the very life that swam in her veins. Even if one were to consider the fact that Yuuki may not be in love with Zero, they did have more than just your average friendship.

_Zero may not be like anyone else at the school_, wrongly, her mind strayed to Kaname, but she never allowed herself to stay on him. Not this time. _But, he really isn't that different from them, either._

**-x-**

When the dishes were washed and put in the dish drainer to dry, Zero towel-dried his hands and tossed it over his shoulder to see that Yuuki was lounging on the sofa. Or, rather, over the sofa; he could see her legs over the top of the sofa kicking up and down and he could practically see through the sofa that her head was hanging upside down with her arms crossed over her now-full stomach. A soft chuckle emitted from him as he went over slowly and leaned his arms over the edge of it. She still hadn't realized he was there.

A devilish smirk replaced his well-meaning one and he poked at the bottom of her feet. She squealed and kicked him in the head, to which he responded by holding both of her feet in place and tickling the soles of her feet. To this, she roared in laughter, her upper body swinging upward as her hands clawed at his arm holding her legs in place. "N-No, Zero, s-stop it, you know my feet are sensiti- Hahahahaha!"

"What's that?" he inquired with a surprisingly light tone to his deep voice. "Sorry, Yuuki, I can't understand you. Can you please speak clearer?"

"ZERO!" Yuuki obviously wanted no part of his smartass attitude, but she couldn't stop herself from laughing as her soles were further tickled. She was going to start crying in a minute if he didn't stop! (Not like he hadn't seen her cry before, but that's probably what he wants; to make her laugh so hard she cries.) "Z-Zero, pleeeease stop! Hahahaha!"

After another minute of his ministrations, Zero lifted up his arm and stopped, giving her a satisfied look as she swiped under her eyes with the tips of her fingers, tears of absolute glee hanging at the corner of her eyes. When she'd finished trying to calm down, she sent him a half-assed glare. "Wh-What's wrong with you this m-morning?"

While she spoke, the bottoms of her feet tingled, and she swung her legs off of the back of the sofa and crossed them as she now sat Indian-style, backwards. Her best friend was grinning back at her, and he opened his mouth to retort before the ringing of the telephone made his head snap in the direction. "I got it," he muttered before he nearly sprinted into the kitchen.

But, after that… was silence.

* * *

><p><em>...Wahahaha! Another cliff-hanger. Anyone want to make a guess as to who Zero is on the phone with? Whoever guesses it correctly gets a sample of the next chapter. <em>

_Oi, I love this story so. It's really unfortunate that, outside of FFnet, I'm nearing its' completion. Just one more day - about three more chapters - to write out and it'll be complete and moved out of my In-Progress folder. How it grew up so fast. _*Sniffle*

_Reviews, alerts, and favorites loved! -Also, I'm beginning to wonder if I should request story art, or let people draw stuff themselves. Some scenes I'd just really like to see brought to life. PM me for details, maybe?-_

_Also, a bit of advertising: One of my best friends in the whole world has written his first story and posted it on FFnet's sister site, _. _If you'd be so kind as to look up '_FuzzelFox_'__ and look at his story _Zachariah's Orchard_, I would love you all forever and ever. And, so would he, I think. ;D_

_Happy reading/reviewing!_

-Cookie-


	12. 21 December, Part II

Yuuki stared at the entrance to the kitchen, having her own conversation with the wall as she slowly removed herself from her position on the sofa and made her way toward Zero in the kitchen.

_Oh, no,_ her inner voice, the one that almost always spoke to her when something bad had happened, or was going to happen, was what finally pushed her into the kitchen to lean against the archway. Zero's expression didn't look calm anymore; it was full of concern as he glared down at the floor. _Something's happened; Father's hurt, or-or Ichiru has fallen ill again…_ In order to read what her friend was feeling, she reached out to grab for his shirt, but he moved away, holding his hand up.

"Understood, President," he said softly before he hung up the phone.

Yuuki's heart broke in two as she waited for him to tell her what was going on. The look on his face was familiarly blank, but his eyes spoke volumes as to what was really behind that face; hurt, fear, concern… she folded her hands in front of her face, taking a step toward him. "Zero? What's going on, did something happen?"

His eyes looked to her as if asking to take her in his arms, but she didn't get to read it fast enough before he turned his body away from her, walking out of the kitchen, his footsteps fading away down the foyer. She distinctly remembered his door slamming, and then… silence.

"Zero?"

A pain surged through her heart as she realized what was happening; Zero was given bad news about something and was hiding what it was he was feeling again. He'd closed off on her again, and she didn't like the feeling it gave her. _Zero… _

On any other occasion, she'd have left it alone, had gone back into the living room and would be unloading ornaments and other decorations for the tree, currently set up in the far-right corner of the living room. However, Yuuki didn't want to celebrate anything if her best friend of five years was shutting her out. _No more, _she thought stubbornly as she walked out of the kitchen, picking up to a trot down the foyer, _I won't let him shut me out anymore! _

**-x-**

Silence. That's all Zero could comprehend was the silence.

The Association President had called him about an invasion, started by a rebel group of Level D vampires who had been changed by a Pureblood named Himeko Takemoto. Her objective, as one of the Senate's pets, was to destroy the Hunters at the top of the Association's list – which comprised Kaien Cross, Toga Yagari, and a few other well-renowned hunters – and, instead, managed to completely slaughter the Medical branch in their attempts to get to where they needed to be.

And, Ichiru was one of those who had been severely wounded.

The President told Zero that his younger brother's condition was unstable and was in no real position to be saved. Because of his weaker constitution, the abilities he'd absorbed from Shizuka over the years had slowed, putting him in extreme distress as his body tried to fix itself. He wouldn't stop moving, the President emphasized, and no hospitals had any opening whatsoever.

There was no word about the Headmaster or Yagari, which ultimately scared Zero. The latter because, well, he wouldn't be able to handle losing the closest thing to a parent he had, and the former… he just didn't want to be the one to tell Yuuki that she may – _or may not_, his mind pointedly added – have lost her father due to the Senate.

And, gods, was that the last thing he _ever_ wanted to do in his life.

_It can't be true… _Zero closed his eyes tightly, scuffling onto his bed, feeling like he'd just seen his parents slaughtered all over again. _Ichiru's the only real family I have left; he has to make it through. And… and Master, and the Headmaster… _

"Zero?"

His body twitched; she sounded so close to breaking, but at the same time, her voice was firm, unwavering, and strong. What was he supposed to do, just go over, open the door, and _lie_ to her _face_ that everything was going to be alright? He couldn't promise that! He couldn't trust himself to tell her something that may be her downfall. She was still hurting from the fact that she didn't have a _real_ family to spend the holidays with. (A part of him was immensely hurt by this statement; he had thought of her as a sister for the first year until he realized the love he held for her wasn't familial.)

A knock came on the other side of the door, but it was hardly soft. It was more like a _pounding_ on his door. She was either furious or determined. The latter seemed more likely, and he knew firsthand it was nearly impossible to deter a determined Yuuki when she had her mind dead-set on something. As he got up from the bed, she knocked again.

"Zero, open your door before I…"

The door swung open and, before he could sternly advise her to leave him alone, – _or before she could finish her statement_ – she threw her arms around his waist, causing him to take a few steps back from the sheer force of it; the anger that had once adorned his pale features melted away when he felt her arms squeezing around him, and he held her to him with one arm around her shoulders. Before he could question her, her voice chirped from his chest.

"Don't you _ever_ hide from me, Zero… Never again, you hear?"

He closed his eyes when he realized she was just one step closer to crying, and wrapped his other arm around her, nearly crumbling to his knees. "I… I hear you, Yuuki."

Satisfied with his answer, she let herself release the tears that long-awaited spillage down her cheeks, and the two friends collapsed to their knees together. Zero still towered over her, and Yuuki's hands shook as they clutched a clump of his shirt. He couldn't stop himself from letting out a shuddering sigh, but he fought back the urge to let his own tears of fear and concern fall from his eyes as he held his partner close.

And, silence washed over them once again.

* * *

><p><em>With this story, I wanted the drama to only come in small spurts. If anyone wants to know more about the invasion, I'm considering writing a short little scene sometime in the future; let me know if this interests you.<em>

_While it was pretty short, I am a little proud of this and the previous chapter; I dunno, it just goes to show how quickly things can change._

_AND SPEAKING OF THINGS CHANGING QUICKLY. Updates will be a bit more sporadic, but in a good way; the story's really close to its end now, so I'll be trying to get more chapters up every two weeks instead of every month. So, I hope you all look forward to that! _

_Until next time! (Reviews are appreciated, subscriptions to the story -and me- and favorites are loved!)_


	13. 21 December, Part III

_A quick note before we start: _On deviantART, there is a fan-group (for Zeki, of course!) called 'ZekiLove' that, every month, chooses fanart and fanfics and members of the month, etc. WELL. I would like to give them HEE-YUUUUUUGE thanks for making _Eternal Bond_ (my BABY for those who don't know) their 'Fanfic of the Month'! I am so incredibly honored and I felt obligated to tell you all of what is to me a huge success and opportunity to get more publicity. Because well, if I get enough support... well, I'll talk about that later.

In celebration of this, I have decided to post some story stats. Currently, the story has **37 followers**, **34 favorites**, and **57 reviews**. Guys, this is so amazing! With your help, _EB_ can be one of my hugest successes since _TtLG_ (for those who remember THAT train-wreck. xD). Keep reviewing and subscribing/favoriting and you'll never guess what you'll be rewarded with.~

On with the show! (This is the chapter we've all been waiting for! ;D)

* * *

><p>Yuuki's eyes opened slowly, staring into the darkness of a bedroom, her body feeling warm.<p>

She hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep, but it was definitely possible, since she had cried herself to sleep before. Once only three days ago, in fact.

_Ah… my head hurts so much… I must have cried really hard last ni- Eh? _Yuuki's eyes went wide and a dark blush bubbled onto her fair cheeks as she realized just where she was. She was in Zero's room, in Zero's _bed_, and a hard surface was pressed against her back. Her heart beat picked up.

_**B-Bmp! B-Bmp!**_

She slowly turned her head around, her body moving on its own as she leaned up on her elbow. As it was dark, she couldn't tell if there was anyone there, so she brought her hand up – her fingers trembled, and she swallowed rather loudly – and pressed it lightly against the cold surface. The wall. She let out a sigh of relief before she turned her head, sitting up fully now, and looked around for Zero.

"Zero," she whispered sharply, the silence of night nearly deafening her, and she swung her feet onto the floor. She found a pair of warm slippers, knowing full well they weren't hers but not really caring, and scuffled over to stand in front of the one window, opening the shades to let in the light from the moon. She sighed, staring up at the twinkling sky, opening it a crack to let out some of the stuffy air.

Zero's room smelled like despair, thick with her tears from the night before before. Yuuki collapsed onto her knees near the crack, letting out another sigh and watched as her breath materialized into a white puff before disappearing into the cold winter night. A winter wind burst through the door, blowing his curtains back, and she shivered violently before spinning to rest against the wall beside the window.

It was then that she realized she'd fallen right onto the very person she had been previously looking for, whose legs were bent with his arms leaning on his knees. And, now Yuuki resting against his arm, curled upon his lap. He cleared his throat softly, and the brunette jerked her head upward to look at him, mortification showing in many shades of red and pink on her face. "Comfortable?" Zero casually inquired before he nudged her in the side.

"Z-Zero? …sorry."

Yuuki scooted off of his lap but didn't inch away completely. Instead, she settled for spinning to sit directly in front of him and face him, a look of worry evident on her features. Her hand reached up to move a piece of his silver hair from his face, and he closed his eyes at the minute sensation the brushing of her skin on his own gave him before he heard a shuddering breath. He opened his eyes and inquired, "Yuuki, what is it?"

Her hair suddenly fell in her face as she bowed her head downward, and Zero felt his heart weigh heavy. "Yuuki, come on, this isn't normal for you…" before he could stop himself, his hand reached out to pull her chin upward in a gentle tug, and he could see that she was biting on her lip in thought before her eyes focused in on his. "Come on, short stack," he pleasantly joked, a smirk fighting its way onto his lips to try to lighten the mood, "You can tell me; what're you thinking about so intently?"

His hand went from under her chin to her cheek, his fingers brushing along the skin of their own accord – even if he'd regained control of his movements, he assumed he'd be doing this anyway, as it comforted her – and his lavender eyes searching hers for any sort of mutual understanding of just what was going on in her head. A soft, half-forced laugh made her breath puff on his wrist, and she nuzzled into his touch. "I don't get it," she said softly before her eyes shone with determination. "I don't get why, every single time I look at you, my breath catches."

_**B-bmp! B-bmp! **_

"Yuuki, hold o-"

Yuuki interrupted him by scooting closer. "And, I don't get why, sometimes whenever you talk to me, I can't ever think of anything to say."

Zero stared at her and did all he could to avoid shaking his head; only in his wildest dreams had this scenario played in his head, but by now, he'd be ravishing her with kisses. He had to restrain himself, no matter how strong the urge was. And, as anyone – the Headmaster, even Kaname – would agree, Zero's resolve was much stronger than his hormones.

Except… in front of Yuuki.

Yuuki's body had continued to move until she now rested between his legs, knees pressing against his thighs. Zero's legs fell in a soft _**thud**_ beside her, his other hand having moved to rest on her hips as her face got dangerously close to his. _Christ._

"And," Yuuki's voice had lowered to a tone Zero didn't recognize. "I don't understand why my heart is beating so fast… right now."

Zero's eyes traveled around her face, it being close – but, not too close – to his own. Her eyes, her nose, her lips… everything about her, _everything_, was absolutely beautiful to him. Her voice, laugh, and absolute affection she showed him. All that came with Yuuki from the moment he met her to right now, was absolutely breathtaking. He panted, as if releasing a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and Yuuki's free hand was snaking up his chest until it rested at his shoulder. Small fingers clutched tightly at the fabric of his long-sleeve nightshirt, and he gulped.

"Zero… what does… why am I feeling like… this?"

With a sigh, eyebrows knitted together as he tried to answer her question in his head, the light-haired vampire pulled his companion forward, a slight gasp emitting from her chest before they each felt a warmth that neither had ever experienced. Yuuki was soaring, her heart fluttering, and her eyes fluttered shut as they just kept their lips still. A union of soft lips, colliding for the first time; a closed-mouthed kiss.

It wasn't until Yuuki wrapped both of her arms around his neck that either realized what was happening. Yuuki was kissing Zero. Zero was kissing Yuuki. Neither could believe it, and neither wanted it to stop. Yuuki's lips moved tentatively now, angling her head so that her lips captured Zero's bottom lip, and both of his lips captured her top lip. This dancing of inexperienced lips didn't cease, even when both started to feel the air leaving their lungs.

Minutes passed, and the two broke free. Yuuki panted, her chest heaving slightly against her uniform, her eyes not straying from Zero's once they fluttered open. Zero caught his breath quickly, his eyes having not left hers, having been the first to open after their kiss. Their first kiss.

"Z-Zero…"

"Yuuki?"

It didn't take long for the two to get tangled up in each other again, but this time, Zero had gotten up off the floor. Yuuki, wanting no part of their separation, followed him, having to stand on her tiptoes to get the right angle before she felt a pair of hands at the small of her back. She blushed, and heard, "Jump up."

The brunette was taken aback. "Wh-What?"

Zero was unfazed by her stutter and smirked in return. "I said, jump. Don't worry, I'll catch you."

And, it was all the reassurance she needed as she did as he asked, and he caught her under her thighs. Her legs wrapped around his waist, her arms snaked around his neck, and her fingers caught a fistful of his silver hair before their lips met again. Zero never faltered as he kept her hoisted up with one hand, reaching over to close the window with the other, and walked with ease over to his bed, gently placing her head onto his pillow. He crawled over her, keeping the lower half of his body away from hers, knowing full-well what could happen if he didn't, and continued his ministrations before Yuuki let out a moan.

_Whoa. _He had _never _heard that kind of noise come out of her before. And, damn, did he enjoy being the one to have brought out such a reaction. A devilish smirk danced across his lips as he deepened the kiss, licking and sucking her lips as she broke free for air. At this point, he didn't know what was going through his head; his body had taken over.

When she calmed her breathing enough to join his lips once more, he'd moved his mouth away from her own, placing gentle kisses along her jaw and down her neck and… it all would've been fine until his breath hitched.

Yuuki didn't falter; it was fine if Zero didn't want anything more than to kiss her – in the pit of her stomach, she knew that was a lot of self-restraint on his part – right now, but it wasn't fair that his lust for blood be restrained. Not when there were little boundaries left to be crossed now. "Z-Zero, go ahead. Take my blood, you know i-it's okay."

Zero's hot breath on her neck made her shiver and she sat up only slightly to lean against his headboard before her childhood friend – he was so much more than that, now – caught her shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze before he bowed his head, hair falling into his eyes. "I… I can't, Yuuki…"

But… some dark part of him really wanted to, and he felt disgusted in himself. He pushed it back before its dark, demonic tone would escape through his lips as if he were possessed.

The brunette wouldn't have that and she grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him on top of her so that his lips touched her neck, and she chided softly, "I'm not asking you," …had her tone with him always been this commanding? "I'm now telling. Zero, drink my blood." _It'll make us both feel better_, she fought off the words before they escaped her lips and shivered against him as she felt his fangs extending. Warmth coursed through her veins, eliciting a soft whimper as warmth settled in her stomach.

Zero knew how Yuuki got – whether he was battling his bloodlust or not, he _knew_ – when she wanted something; her fingers on his shirt slackened and wrapped around his form – shaking, trying to resist – as she pulled him in, her legs now on either side of his own. His long fingers slid behind her, tracing the muscles in her back and making its way up to thread through her hair and finally tilting her head at just the right angle before he stopped. Yuuki gave him pointed look which almost read 'Don't stop now, you idiot!' before she was pulled onto his lap, their position from earlier being resumed.

"Z-Zero?" wide, crimson eyes stared up at her childhood friend before he pulled her close, wherein she'd have to rest her face in his shoulder, and he bit down. Her eyes fluttered closed, the dull pain that once accompanied him biting her having melted away almost as soon as his sharp fangs penetrated the sensitive skin at her neck. He drank, his hands roaming down her back and finally resting on her hip as she let herself smile in his arms. Her lips, still pleasantly dark pink from before, nearly trembled at the euphoria she was feeling before she pressed her lips onto his own neck, to which he bore her now, and she kissed it. A groan escaped his lips, a vibrating sensation leaving her lips tingling, and she smirked in satisfaction. He pulled back to look at her with a sort of loving gaze, her blood dripping from his lips, before he went back to drink.

Before long, he pulled his mouth away from her neck, lapping his tongue around the puncture wounds before he pecked lovingly at the two marks. Yuuki's lips faltered before she let her hands slide up his chest. Regrettably, Zero stopped and gave her his own pointed look that read 'You know we've got to stop,' and, they did.

The fair-haired boy gave her a far-away look, as if he absolutely refused to be in the form of the creature that'd just drank from the girl he'd loved for so long, before laying back against his pillows. Yuuki followed suit, letting her fingers intertwine with his before she nuzzled into his shoulder.

And, for once in a long time, Zero let a small, loving smile tug his lips upward before he placed his thick blanket over them, closing his eyes and going to sleep.

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><p><em>Well? Like it, love it, hate it? Let me know in a review!<em>

_I did all I could to keep them in-character, but I might have slipped because, well... (I figure I don't have to explain my fangirlish tendencies, since a lot of you are the same.)_

_See you in two weeks! _:D

-Cookie


	14. 22 December, Part I

_Wow! I got a lot of positive feedback for last chapter, so thank you so much!_

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><p>Yuuki woke up to the feeling of pressure against her hip and, immediately, her eyes shot open.<p>

She was facing the wall, lying on a bed that she didn't recognize – at _first_ – and a deep blush bubbled onto her cheeks as she realized the pressure was an arm holding her closely, and slowly, she turned her head to look over her shoulder.

The scene in front of her nearly made her sigh as her expression softened immensely.

She hadn't noticed before, but Zero looked so peaceful when he slept. His face seemed content, his lips parted only slightly; there was absolutely no sign that he was as troubled as he led everyone on to be. His fair skin was unwrinkled, and he had just a touch of pink on his cheeks from the heat radiating from their bodies swirling together…

…a blush swept across her face when she realized the events last night actually happened. She _kissed_ her childhood friend. And, it felt _so much better_ than anything she'd ever done in her life. She looked down to look at the boy beside her again before her eyes started to move down from his face and to his shoulders, rising and falling chest, and an exposed part of his stomach.

He was an angel. _Her_ angel.

Yuuki's eyes traveled back up to look at his face again, a smile on her face as she reached a hand up to stroke his cheek. Part of her didn't want to wake him, but another part felt as giddy as a school girl, just wanting his warm gaze on her again. She watched his eyes twitch and she pushed herself from his grasp, sitting up just enough to look over his shoulder and around his room; he really kept it clean, unlike her, who had clothes, paper, and magazines thrown every which way on her wooden floor.

_I may want to get that cleaned up before the end of the day, _thought the brunette as she pulled her legs out from under the blanket and began to slide to the edge of the bed, slipping on Zero's light blue slippers and getting up, stalking toward his window and staring out at the snowy morning. It was only lightly snowing, and she wanted to go outside. The last time she had actually played in the snow was before Junior High started.

…even then, after Yuuki had cracked some of his shell, Zero was pretty difficult to deal with.

**-x-**

_It had been a – somewhat – peaceful morning at the Cross estate. Yuuki had woken up to French toast, apple juice, and a small cup of maple syrup. While her father wasn't the __best__ of cooks, he sure could make one hell of a breakfast when he didn't try so hard. _

_She'd eaten it quickly, barely leaving room for her apple juice before she jumped off of the chair and brought her plate into the kitchen, where her father was dishing out a second plate. "Oh, that's for Zero, right?"_

"_Yes, it is. Would you like to bring it to him, darling?"_

_Zero had been staying with them for a little over a year and had talked to her a little; not about himself, he was more interested in her. He would sit beside her and read a book as she would watch the television, or would accompany her on a walk around campus when she said she wanted company. She was the only one he even dared stay near, not for sake of feeling threatened by anyone else, but solely because he very much thought of her as the only friend he had._

_Yuuki thought very much about Zero, whether it was worried or happy thoughts. While he didn't open up about a lot of his problems, he did like to spend time with her, even if it resulted in them getting in little squabbles every now and again – and, he won almost every single one, at least when they had been younger – but neither of them disliked the others' company. _

"_Sure! Maybe he'll come outside with me later, if it stops snowing so hard!"_

_Kaien merely nodded with a bright smile before putting away the leftovers and putting the dirty plates in the sink for later. He watched his daughter take the plate and her cup of juice and walk out and into the hallway, intent on convincing Zero to go outside with her._

_When Yuuki had made it to Zero's room, his door was ajar, and she cleared her throat. "Zero, are you dressed? I have your breakfast for you."_

_The sound of a drawer shutting made her jump and she heard her friends' shuffling footsteps before the door swung open partway. Only half of his face was visible. "I'm not hungry," the light-haired boy said shortly, and young Yuuki noticed he was only half-dressed, wearing his dark sweatpants and socks. His chest was bare to her, but she was too innocent to think anything of it. Twelve wasn't exactly an exciting time for her, especially when it came to boys – considering the only ones she knew were Kaname and Zero – or anything of that sort._

"_But, Zero… you need to eat breakfast if you're-…"_

"_I __said__, I wasn't hungry."_

_Yuuki didn't like it when he snapped at her like that. But, she didn't let him see that and walked toward his door and, once there, used her shoulder to push it open for her to cross under it. "And, __I said__ that you need to eat, because you haven't eaten all day. Please open up, Zero!"_

_The two childhood friends began their first silent tug-of-war match, lilac eyes squarely narrowed at wine-colored ones, and neither were going to give in. Zero's face was surprisingly indifferent as Yuuki scowled at him, her lips pressed into a firm line. Seconds that seemed like hours dragged by before the older of the two sighed and opened his door a bit to her before going back to rummaging in his drawers. Yuuki, pleased with herself, walked into his bedroom. _

_After setting his breakfast on his bedside table, Yuuki sat perched on his bed, kicking her legs back and forth as Zero pulled on his long-sleeve shirt. When he turned to look at her – and noticed her looking back, completely unembarrassed – he rose a light brow and put his hands on his hips._

"_I got my breakfast, so what else do you want?"_

_Yuuki puffed out her cheeks. "I … I wanted to know if you wanted to, um…" __C'mon, Yuuki, say it!__ "I wanted to know if you wanted to comeoutsidewithmelater."_

_Zero didn't answer her. Instead, he sighed and jerked a thumb over to his door. "Can you get out now?"_

_Feeling a little disappointed, Yuuki jumped from his bed to the floor and shuffled out, giving him one last glance before turning to walk down the hallway to the kitchen, where her father was…_

**-x-**

Yuuki pressed her hand to the window, remembering all too well how heartbroken she'd felt when Zero shot her down. When it came to her – Ichiru _and_ her – he never really denied because (she knew) he knew how stubborn she was about something if she wanted it badly enough. But, he was still fairly new to it back then, and she hadn't quite figured out what to do with the power she didn't know she possessed yet. Now, four years later, she took full advantage of it, barely breaking a sweat – figuratively speaking, of course – when she felt like her power could be at its fullest potential.

Or, in other words, she used it to successfully make Zero turn into what he tried to avoid being: a teenage boy, with raging hormones to boot.

And, she was no different; her hormones swarmed in her veins, waiting to wage war on her, waiting for her to let her guard down for one second before taking over. But, she had to control her hormones right now. It was too soon for anything to happen, not until she got full control of her heart, what she wanted. What she _needed_.

_What __do__ I want? _Yuuki rested a hand to the cold glass, feeling frost melting under the pads of her fingers, and her palm. _If I could get anything, from __anyone__, what would I want it to be?_

A warm blush made its way onto her face, to which she sighed through her nose and pressed her cheek against the glass, now looking in Zero's direction. And, he was now starting to wake up. The brunette looked out the window, adopting a firm expression as she looked out at the snow again; they had decorating to finish, and then…

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><p><em>...ooh, and then <span>what<span>, Yuuki? _

_That flashback is broken into two parts, and you don't get to see the second part for a few more chapters. I like the pace I'm at currently, so I'll keep updates at bi-weekly until it's complete; which sadly, will be in about two-three months, tops. _

(T^T)

_Review/Favorite/Subscribe! I will be a very happy Cookie!_

_-Cookie-_

**PS: **I have made a Tumblr! (Even if it's pretty lame-looking, since it's only like, three days old. |D) Follow 'cookiethewriter' for updates, random blogs, and occasional posts of songs/pictures/gifs that inspire me.


	15. 22 December, Part II

Zero opened his eyes slowly, having realized that the spot beside him was empty. A soft groan escaped his pale lips as he did his best to move without his shoulders stinging; sometime during the night, Yuuki had taken his pillow, and he didn't have the heart to let her know that he'd hurt in the morning. So, he pushed himself up, his shoulders throbbing with each move he made.

It took all of him not to voice his obvious discomfort, but he couldn't hide the winces, apparently.

"Zero, are you alright?" Yuuki slowly made her way over to him, reaching over to put a hand on his shoulder, to which he recoiled.

A sigh escaped him as he stood up, rubbing at his neck, shrugging his shoulders. "'m fine."

"Oh? Well, why do you keep making a face?" Yuuki put her hands on her hips, but Zero wanted nothing to do with her attitude – or, she wanted nothing to do with _his_, was more appropriate – so he dismissed her, walking over to grab his change of clothes for the day from his dresser. "Hey, I'm talking to y-…"

"Yuuki." Zero looked a bit over his shoulder, and she hushed quickly. Something about his tone… it wasn't very 'Zero-like' of him; he wasn't snapping at her, nor was he glaring at her in any way. The look in his eyes was more or less anxious, though the swirling lavender-gray pools were soft, the most prominent emotion was… actually quite calm. "… I'm going to go shower. We're going to do the tree after, so hurry and get ready."

The brunette blinked, looking at her friend, walking toward his door; her red-wine colored eyes never left his head, and he turned to look at her. Figuring she should respond, Yuuki said quietly, "Right, okay," and smiled before leaving his bedroom. Zero stared at his drawer of socks, sighing softly, and pulling his clothes close before headed into the bathroom across the hall.

When the bathroom door closed, Yuuki peeked through her doorway, looking to the floor; the events from the previous night were replaying themselves in her head now, and her heart was beating so fast.

The feelings she harbored the previous night, and right now, for her childhood friend were _scaring_ her; she wasn't sure what to do with them.

_Zero and I have delved in forbidden acts before, _her hand absently shot for the twin puncture wounds that were healing over quickly on her neck, and she looked over at her own dresser, fishing out clothes for the day. _We've already crossed a boundary that should never be crossed by either human or vampire. But… it's different when you bring in the fact that Zero and I… _her actions slowed. "It's different… when you care about the person, too."

Even if Yuuki were to not have developed feelings for Zero, she would've still given her blood to him. He was the closest thing she had to a brother, having lived in the same house for five years, plus however many years in the future. Were they to have established a more sibling-like relationship, the fact that she'd given her blood to him on several occasions may have led to less consequences in the future (for, she wouldn't have fallen for her brother).

They never had been like brother and sister, though; there was always a different type of something between them, and it took Yuuki longer than it should have to realize it.

"I guess… we'll just have to figure out what it is that we are before everyone comes back from break."

**-x-**

The water that splashed onto Zero's silver-white hair had immediately released the tenseness in his neck and shoulders; steam enveloped him like a robe and, as he moved his hand to comb it through his soapy hair, the white mist swirled around him. He could always count on one of two things to release the tension he encountered after he'd been with Yuuki; a hot (or cold) shower, or go to the shooting range with his trusted _Bloody Rose_.

As the suds washed down his slender frame, he felt as if every bad thing that had ever happened to him was also being washed away, and would soon be swirling down the drain. A heavy weight that had always dragged his body down had finally lifted away, suddenly, and Zero found he could stand much taller and confidently now. It felt strange to not have something weighing him down. He couldn't find a reason to frown, particularly, either.

It seemed that the hardships that both he and Yuuki had faced had been completely forgotten in the last few days.

Of course, they weren't _completely_ forgotten; Ichiru was still in intensive care and no word had come up about Yuuki's father or his mentor, Toga Yagari. And by now, Yuuki was beginning to wonder what kind of conference it was that Kaien had to leave on such short notice.

Of course, unbeknownst to her, he was called for reinforcements not as a member of the Association Council, but as a well-renowned hunter.

Zero turned the water off and shook his silvery-white mop back and forth. He pushed the sliding door of the shower open and grabbed the white towel hanging over the sink and wrapped it around his hips, dragging a large hand through his hair before looking into the mirror, instinctively. A small smile tugged his lips upward.

Yuuki, sometime during the course of his shower, had come in briefly to write a little message on the mirror. (And, draw a little smiley-face in the corner of her message.) It read:

'Meet me in the Living Room so we can start our decorating!

-Yuuki'.

Zero wasted no time getting into his long, black trousers and a white T-shirt with the school's crest sewn in burgundy string – the Headmaster had had some custom-made shirts and bottoms made for his children as they were not only guardians of the Academy, but also his children – and combed through his hair with his fingers as he finished making himself at least partly presentable.

Once he exited the bathroom, however, and dumped his dirty clothes into a hamper right outside his room, he distinctly heard the faint sound of a choir in the living room and, the closer he got inside, the clearer it became that Yuuki had turned on one of her father's antique American Christmas records.

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><p><em>In terms of this installation, I don't have much to say about it. I didn't like it very much, but then again, it's only setting us up for the chapters after. <em>

_If you take a look at my Tumblr and Facebook Page, you all will see something quite important that I'd like you all to take a look at. _

_Reviews are loved, as are subscriptions to me/my story-ies-/favorites to me/my story-ies-._

-Cookie-


	16. 22 December, Part III

Yuuki had a strange way of organizing, if the boxes and bags of decorations splayed over the sofa and coffee table were any consolation. The Headmaster was, generally, a very organized man when it came to things his 'children' made, gave, or bought for him, so it was no surprise that there were several boxes with the labels 'Yuuki's Crafts' and 'Zero's Crafts' (even if Zero made far less crafts than Yuuki did. Though, Zero may go on a murdering spree if he went through it and realized that his master had given the excitable Headmaster some that he and Ichiru had made when they were still in their youth.)

"Okay, there," she said with an air of triumph, her hands on her hips as she looked around at the boxes on the floor and coffee table and the bags dispersed on the couch and end table. Zero walked in to see this, and the brunette flashed him a bright grin before running over and tugging him beside the tree. "First, we put up the lights!"

"No," Zero said matter-of-factly, giving her a stern look before taking the lights lightly in his hands, "_I'll_ put up the lights and you can make sure the cords don't tangle."

_Jeez! _It wasn't like she'd hurt herself with the bloody things, and she wasn't _clumsy_—okay, she was. No use in arguing with him, though she did puff out her exceptionally fair cheeks at him, to which he ignored her and instructed she stand across from him. It took no time at all putting up the lights.

Up next were the stringed, wooden cranberries, which Yuuki had to dig around in a box to find. She was allowed to do this as Zero fished for this year's ornaments; the silver ones made of such thin glass, that one had to be careful when even taking them out of the package. Zero threaded the first batch with the hooks and made sure that they wouldn't unthread themselves before helping Yuuki untangle the mess that were the stringed, wooden cranberries.

It wasn't until five minutes of failed detangling later that they decided that their tree would be much better and less crowded without something else to wrap around. They still had the tinsel to put on yet, too, and it was what would make the colored lights bounce onto the walls and just give that official 'Christmas' feel to their home.

Of course, the stereo currently playing one of the Headmaster's old Christmas records may have put the rambunctious brunette in a Christmas-y mood already, judging by the huge grin on her face as she now sifted through silver-colored tinsel, humoring herself with how it matched Zero's hair, and wondering why the lights didn't bounce off of his silver-white tresses as they did the tinsel.

The tree had finally started to look like a Christmas tree as the silver-haired boy and chocolate-brown-haired girl started putting the ornaments onto the tree, Zero using his height to his advantage by getting ones up top while Yuuki practically hugged the needled tree putting ornaments in both the front _and_ back. Occasionally, their fingers brushed, and Yuuki didn't do a good job hiding her light blush as she spun in the opposite direction, playing it off as an accident.

In a matter of an hour, the tree was almost completely decorated; the rainbow-colored lights that Yuuki had completely fallen in love with glittered under the light of the living room ceiling lamp, and the room was filled with glittering spots from both the tinsel and ornaments. All that was left to put on was the star – usually Kaien's job; a five-pointed, golden-painted with a swirled pattern star with an imitation-emerald in the center – and turn on the lights and watch the living area be enveloped by sparkling pink, orange, and blue hued lights.

The music had long since been forgotten, as Yuuki and Zero were now collapsed on the couch as if they'd run around the entire campus. Zero had his neck craned over the back of the couch cushion, and Yuuki had her legs draping over his lap, her hands folded over her flat stomach, staring up at the ceiling, enwrapped in the warm, fuzzy feeling she got around this time of year.

A comfortable, companionable silence had washed over them, and momentarily they were alright with it. Yuuki didn't fidget, like she always did when she sat too long, and Zero was in no way irritated with her as she drooped her legs on him. Occasionally, he dragged his finger up and down her leg, absently, comfortingly.

"Hey, Zero?" when Zero looked over at her, Yuuki leaned up on her elbows, sending a bright smile to him, her crimson eyes sparkling excitedly. Her smile sent shivers up his spine, and he found himself somewhat grinning back at her. "Do you think the Headmaster… I mean, do you think Father will be back in time for Christmas?"

Pale lips pursed, lavender eyes searching for any hint of doubt, before he let out a breath he wasn't aware he'd been holding. "I don't know." _For her sake, I hope so, _he thought as he dragged his hand through his hair and picked her legs off of his lap, getting up to sift one last time through the boxes to pull out the star and rummage for nothing in particular; the more they talked about the Headmaster, the more he'd dwell on Ichiru and his weak condition, and the more he'd pull away from her. They both had to be careful with what they said and did on the subject.

As if reading his mind, Yuuki swung her legs to the side and curled her little hands into fists on her lap, her head being dragged down as if with a large weight. "Meetings with the Senate don't take this long, especially near Christmas. Do you think something happened, or…"

The silence that deafened them was hardly comfortable; it was thick, tense, and both knew it. Worry washed through the brunette's mahogany eyes, and Zero… no single word could describe the concern and utter fear causing his body to act on its own accord. He gripped something leafy in his large hands and squeezed it tight; he knew what he could do to distract her long enough for her to sleep tonight. They'd handle affairs with the Headmaster, his brother, and the Association's attack tomorrow.

Yuuki's head shot up when she saw him cross in front of her, grabbing her wrist in the process and dragging her over to the archway leading into the hall. From the tool box conveniently by the end table, the fair-haired boy grabbed the hammer and a nail, and began to hammer something on top of the archway, leaving enough room for him – as he was the tallest in the household – to pass through easily. When he finished, he threw the hammer atop the opened tool box and put each of his hands on her shoulders, putting her in front of him, to her surprise as she temporarily lost her footing.

"Zero?" her voice… so innocent and yet, it really wasn't. Her sweet voice only gave Zero the drive he needed to do what he had set to doing to get her mind off of the more pressing, worrisome thoughts of her father, and his mentor and brother. Her eyes were wide as he bent down a bit to her, making his way slowly to meet her eyes until his lips were merely a hair's width away.

A dark blush stained fair cheeks before Yuuki let her eyes flutter closed, sucking in a breath as if sucking his face into hers. Her body leaned backwards, not being able to stand on its own, and he followed her as she leaned against the archway, and he planted the sweetest – albeit shortest – of kisses onto her lips.

The kind of kiss that, while was sweet and loving and endearing all its own, left the petite brunette wanting, _craving_ more. Her arms wrapped around his neck sloppily, tangling her fingers in his silver tresses, pushing her body closer into his warm, lean, hard body. Confidence swam through his veins as he remembered everything that had ever transpired between them; every embrace, every tender moment and loving word shared between them, and his arms encircled her waist. He met her in the middle of another kiss, this one a bit longer, lips moving in a slow dance, breaths mingling and names being whispered.

"Zero."

"Yuuki…"

Moments passed before the two broke apart, Zero leaning his forehead on hers, his breath coming out in short gasps as he felt the heat radiating from his beautiful partner and best friend. He watched her eyes flutter open, her lips moving wordlessly, before she smiled up at him. In just her eyes, he had all the answer he needed to his own mild insecurities.

_Does she feel anything for me? What am I to her? Can we ever be more? Will she ever __see__ me the way she…_

The two shared an embrace unlike any they'd ever shared. Zero pressed himself into her, his forehead on her shoulder, one hand on her waist with his other in her hair, and her arms wrapped under his as her head rested atop his. A delicate, content sigh escaped the chestnut-haired girl as she finally decided what it was she wanted, from Zero, and from herself as well.

_And, _she thought, a content smile breaking apart her lips, _it only took me five years to realize it._

* * *

><p><em>Eeh? Eeh? What do you all think? <em>

_I'll admit, this is one of those chapters that I really enjoyed writing, where it takes away a little from the actual plot and we just get to see a sweet little moment between them, whether it was the decorating the tree or the under-the-mistletoe kiss... Murr, that was my favorite scene. _u

_As always, I accept constructive criticism (and, I'm also partially flattered by people badgering me to update because sometimes it works. _;D)

-Cookie-

**PS; **I have mentioned something on my Tumblr that I wish you guys would take a look at. Just search 'cookiethewriter' on Tumblr and there should be a post discussing 'TPaHK' and a secret project I'm working on... after seeing that post, send my a PM on here or message me on my Facebook page, 'AnimeCookie93'. I'd greatly appreciate help with both the current and secret project.~ -Heart!-


	17. 23 December, Part I

Zero had woken up before the sun rose in hopes of beating Yuuki to the telephone. It had been two days since he'd gotten the phone call from the Association President; about the invasion, and his brother's condition. Two days would have been plenty of time to get his body at least partly back to normal if they were giving him blood to replace that which had been lost during the attack.

As he walked past her bedroom door, he double-checked through the partly-opened door, looking in at the form of Yuuki sleeping. Warmth flooded through his entire being at the thought of her dreaming, caught in the pleasantries of her imagination. He stepped back down the corridor, walking into the kitchen.

From the corner of his eye, he could see the Christmas tree, almost entirely decorated save the five-pointed star at the tip-top. As he passed through the archway, he remembered the previous day's kiss, the slight tingling feeling still left on his lips. His hand almost gracefully swept around the archway… and, he thought he heard someone walk down the hall. When he stopped, stuck his head through the archway and saw nothing, he muttered something unintelligible and crossed the short distance to the landline, dialing the number of the Association Headquarters.

The moments that followed felt like an eternity to the worried older Kiryuu twin, as he alternated between shifting weight to each of his feet, to pacing, to leaning against the wall and occasionally smacking his head. When the President picked up, Zero couldn't get the words to come out fast enough.

"President? How's Ichiru, is he alright? And- And Master, and Kaien Cross; what are their conditions?"

A soft gasp met his ears and he straightened, lavender eyes widening with each second that passed him by. No, he didn't want her to be awake right now; he wanted her to be locked inside her world of… well, whatever nice things Yuuki normally dreamed about. The brunette, whose short, straight hair was tangled together from sleep, crossed into the kitchen, her hands pressed firmly together in front of her. _Stop looking at me like that, Yuuki_…

"_Ah, Zero Kiryuu. I was wondering when you'd call us about that brother of yours." _To say the President seemed amused by this was an understatement; the fair-haired teen could practically feel that poisonous smile radiating through the receiver. _"Ichiru has made a successful recovery, though he's still in no state to leave the Association. Cross and Yagari are recovering, also, no need to worry about them."_

Of course, Zero had every reason to worry about his mentor and the man who took him in as if he were a son. "What happened to them? Were they harmed in the…"

"_In the invasion? Yes, they were. But their wounds aren't as severe now. They won't be back in time for Christmas, however, if that's what you were wondering."_

Yuuki now stared at her childhood friend as his eyes showed all of the emotions she longed to understand the meaning to; relief, concern, disappointment… in an attempt to comfort her confused friend, she went over to him and buried her head in his chest. His hand came up to cradle her close, leaning his cheek on her hair. "I see," he said softly, his voice barely audible to anyone but Yuuki and the President. "But, you're positive they're alright. Is one of them available?"

"_Available?" _The President repeated the request as if it was a foreign idea. But, he simply laughed in that strangely discomforting way he knew how. _"Why, Headmaster Cross is only a yell away. Do you wish to speak with him?"_

"I do," Zero barely paused, feeling Yuuki's hands on his chest, rubbing it comfortingly. Some movement was heard on the opposite end, and the clear voice of the Headmaster was heard coming toward the phone. Quickly, the fair-haired Level D pushed the receiver to Yuuki's ear, and she gripped it with both hands, her head still leaning on Zero.

"_Yes, hello?" _

Yuuki felt her heart skip a beat at the sound of her father's voice. "F-Father? Are you a-alright?"

It was as if a huge breath was released into her ear, but she didn't care too much. Both father and daughter were more than relieved to hear the other's voice after such a long time (in their worlds, anyway). _"Yuuki… I'm fine, dear, I'm fine. I won't be able to come home for Christmas, however, I'm sorry."_

"It's fine, it's fine," Yuuki could feel her body start to tremble, tears sliding down her face and onto the wooden floor. "A-As long as you're doing alright, and Mr. Yagari, too."

"_We are, we are." _There was a small, shaky inhale, and Yuuki wondered if her father was crying, too. _"Yuuki, darling, I must go for a while. I'll try to be home as soon as I possibly can. I love you, Merry Christmas to you and Zero."_

Even if she wanted to, she couldn't stop the smile and the slight roll of her eyes at her father's honest confession, and no way would she ever deny it. "I-I love you too," she hiccupped, wiping at her eyes, "Hurry home, Merry Christmas."

Zero took the phone from her, listened for the 'click!', and promptly hung up the phone. He could feel Yuuki sobbing, and could feel his own eyes sting, but he kept his composure long enough to croak, "See? He's alright, and will be back soon. Stop crying, Yuuki, come on, it's okay…"

When Yuuki looked up at him, he didn't see despair in her eyes anymore. Not like he would have in the near past. There was strength in her eyes, confidence even, and an overpowering optimism that left him aching to believe that anything in the world was possible. After a few seconds of simply staring into each other's eyes, Yuuki smiled at him… beamed, even. He couldn't help but smile back, a small smile, before he started to wipe the tears off of her cheeks with his thumbs.

And then, he knew that they – he and Yuuki, Ichiru, the Headmaster and his Master – were going to be just fine.

* * *

><p><em>Jeez, I'm sorry this one's so short. <em>:I _I hadn't realized it was going to be another short chapter._

_BUT AFTER CONVERSING WITH MY DEAR FRIEND _'Avera-of-Light'_ I (WELL SHE) DECIDED THAT YOU GUYS COULD STAND TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT UPDATE-_

_-Which, reminds me; next week I was going to post Chapter 18 of EB, but instead I quickly whipped up a little Halloween surprise for you all. Sort of my little present for those of us who can't quite experience trick-or-treating anymore. -Damn me and being almost 20 yrs ooooold. _;;_-_

_Please review and favorite/subscribe to me and my story(ies)~ Much love to those who have stuck with me thus far, don't worry, we've got eight chapters to go~_

-Cookie-

**PS - **Have you guys seen the Chapter 87 Raws yet? :'D SDLGKWJEGH. THE MANGA IS FINALLY IN A GOOD PLACE. OUR SHIP HAS SAILED, ZEKIS~ ;u;


	18. 23 December, Part II

**Author's Note: **_This chapter is a few days late, so I apologize. To compensate, I'll put up the next chapter in a few days; I've been really busy (with absolutely nothing but family stuff) for the past few weeks and it'll only get worse the closer we get to the holidays. ...oh and also, this is another short one, so sorry._

The italics in the beginning are a continuation of a flashback Yuuki was having a few chapters back, but now it's in Zero's POV.

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><p>…<em>After Yuuki left his bedroom, Zero couldn't help but feel a little guilty that he treated her so badly. There was so much going through his head in that moment, so many emotions he insisted on keeping locked away, and… he didn't like it.<em>

_The light-haired boy sighed, going over to finger the breakfast Yuuki had brought him, the French toast warm in his calloused fingers. He picked up his fork and stuck it into one, picking it up and eyeing the steaming, fluffy food. Hesitating, he sunk his canines into it, slowly chewing it as if preparing to spit it out if just one little fluffy granule of the toast didn't taste great. But, that didn't happen, and he ended up devouring his breakfast in no time at all._

_He brought the apple juice to his lips before glancing out the window; hadn't Yuuki said something about going outside? She did have a habit of wanting to go outside when it was snowing, the fresh fallen snow sticking to the cold, hard ground. She loved to kick the snow around, and when it was at a certain thickness, ball it up into snowballs and would throw them at her father, or at nothing in particular. _

_Zero didn't like the cold too much, so in the winter, he tended to stay in his room and read a book or sit in front of the fireplace. Often, Yuuki would beg him to go outside with her and he'd tell her he wanted no part of it. But now that he'd been there for a year and was in no mood to be by himself, he decided to hell with his intolerance for the cold; if she wanted him to come outside, then he would go outside. _

_The light-haired boy went to his closet, pulling out a dark turtle-neck, slipping off the thinner long-sleeve shirt he currently had on, and slipped on the thicker and thus warmer article of clothing. In the closet were a pair of cargo pants possibly a size larger than him, and he slipped them over his long pants and looked at himself in the long mirror; his makeshift snowsuit would have to do, and he was sure the Headmaster had a heavy jacket he could borrow. He exited his bedroom and walked through the hall to the living room, where he saw Yuuki slipping into her light pink snowsuit. _

_When she saw him, she squealed happily, squirming out of her father's fingers – as he was trying to button up her suit – and ran over to him, jumping onto the fair-haired boy, sending the pair tumbling onto the floor. "Yay! I'm so happy, you're coming out to play with me!"_

_Zero lightly blushed and, instead of pushing her away and risking her seeing his face, wrapping his arms around her petite form._

_And, that afternoon when Yuuki balled up the perfect snowball and threw it into his face, the Headmaster had discovered that he'd taken the (second) most perfect picture._

**-x-**

Warm sunlight filtered through the blinds of Yuuki's bedroom window, shining right in her face, causing the girl to groan uncomfortably. Mahogany eyes fluttered open, slowly at first, before she twirled her body around to face the wall in a desperate attempt to escape the sun. She pulled her cotton blanket up over her head and let another tired grunt escape her before deciding she might as well get up.

"Ugh…" she sat up in her bed, the blanket falling to her lap. She was dressed in a long, green nightshirt and a pair of her boy-cut shorts. The house felt colder this morning, colder than normal, and she pulled the covers over her and crashed backward onto her pillows.

Earlier that morning, she'd talked to her father and discovered that he wouldn't be home for Christmas, but that he'd be home soon. It disappointed her that she would be without her father this year, but in a way, she was glad she and Zero got to spend more time together. It wasn't very often that the two guardians spent very much alone time together during breaks. In the past few days alone, they'd crossed boundaries that other friends wouldn't normally cross.

And, to someone who was normally described as a 'good' girl, Yuuki felt absolutely no guilt from doing something so outside her comfort zone.

Especially when it was with Zero.

Finally deciding that it was time to get out of bed, the brunette swung her long legs from her warm covers, sliding them into her pair of violet slippers, before scuffling over to her door and peeking her head out into the hallway to see if Zero was awake. Not hearing anything, she assumed he had gone back to bed when she had, and scurried out and into the living room.

"Ah, you're finally awake?"

Yuuki whirled around, staring into the eyes of her lavender-eyed childhood friend, placing a hand upon her chest. "Zero, god, you scared the heck out of me!"

Of course, the light-haired boy couldn't help but chuckle at her, putting his hands up in mock-defeat. "Sorry, sorry," he said, and Yuuki just didn't believe him. He closed the space between them, giving her bed-head a gentle rub before walking around her and sitting on the sofa. Yuuki harrumphed and went to join him, pulling her feet onto the couch.

"So, Zero?"

"Mm?"

"What should we do today?"

With the tree decorated and no company coming over for the holidays, there wasn't much else to do in the large Academy grounds. It would be a big waste of time to go overboard with decorating the outside of the villa, as it wasn't close enough to town where it would make any difference.

There wasn't a whole lot they could do together, but, Zero wanted to come up with something that would make Yuuki smile. So, he swallowed, bowed his head down, and mumbled.

"Do you… want to go outside?"

…if Yuuki could've smiled any more, Zero feared her face would split in two.

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><p><em>Yes, another short chapter, I'm sorry. The situation's made worse because it was a few days late; I hope the chapter at least has better than better-than-nothing quality. <em>^^;

_Please review/favorite/subscribe to me and my stories, this one in particular; seven more uploads! (Why am I starting a countdown? _._.)

-Cookie-


	19. 23 December, Part III

"Come on, Zero, the snow can only stop falling for so long!"

The excited Yuuki stood in her pink sweater and long, black leggings, bouncing excitedly up and down as if on an imaginary trampoline. Her shoulder-length, chocolate-brown hair was pulled back in a small ponytail, and a pink and red striped hat was pulled over it to keep the snowflakes out. On her small hands was a pair of red, fluffy mittens.

Of course, while the young guardian was absolutely ecstatic, her partner was struggling to find something warm enough to bundle in; he didn't have very much fat on him to keep him warm, and the only jackets he had were thin-fabric trench coats. So, he had to slip into a light gray long-sleeve undershirt, and then fished around for one of his long sleeve, cotton tops. Once clothed in these and a pair of dark cargo pants, he reached into his closet for his blue trench coat, buttoning and tying the leathery fabric around his waist.

Not so satisfied but figuring he couldn't do much better, he made his way through the hallway and into the living room, where Yuuki greeted him by tugging on his hand with her mittens and dragging him outside.

The snow was still falling, but it wasn't heavily so, which made the mahogany-eyed girl run out as if snow was her paradise. Zero wrinkled his nose, but followed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He watched – with a scowl on his face – as his chocolate-locked partner picked up handfuls of the snow and threw it in the air, twirling inside her own little Yuuki-world, before she ran at him. When she was a few feet from him, the shoelaces of her boots came undone and she tripped, stumbling into the snow. He'd tried to catch her, but the snow had got to her first.

"Yuuki, are you alright?" Panicked, Zero went to her aid and put his hands over her form, looking her up and down to make sure no pieces of clothing got ripped – as Yuuki did have quite the history when it came to tripping; she once ripped a whole shirt from bottom seam to armpit, and he had to loan her one of his shirts – and sighed when she appeared to be alright. "Yuuki…?"

As he felt her get up, he sighed and looked to the side. A soft "…Z-Zero?" sounded from beside him, in the tone that normally signaled that she was about to cry, and he quickly looked back at her before being pelted in the face with a snowball.

He sputtered, and much to his chagrin, Yuuki was rolling in the snow laughing at him.

"Wh-What the hell was that for?"

"That was for you being so grumpy!" she countered, kicking her feet and flailing her arms in the pure snow around her. "A-And, for your tickle torture the other day! Payback, Zero!"

He couldn't even _pretend_ to be mad at her when she laughed so openly like that. Even knowing what snow was to her; a memory, both scary and her very first. _Vampires, and blood. _

When her laughter finally – slowly – faded away, Yuuki got up and wiped at her eyes, the tears of pure, holiday-induced glee dripping from the corner of her eyes. Zero narrowed his eyes at her, not at all amused, but of course he wasn't truly upset with her. In all seriousness, he was wondering what had taken her so long to do something like that. She was rather playful mid-day.

_Oh, joyous day…_

**-x-**

It wasn't until evening that Yuuki and Zero finally went inside after playing in the snow… or, rather, Yuuki made countless snowmen and snow-castles, and Zero would place a stick as a nose on one, and as flags on another.

Or, he'd kick them over only to get in a silly spat with his partner. The latter was more enjoyable for the cranky vampire boy.

Because of all the time they spent outside, Zero let Yuuki shower first so that he could make preparations for dinner; judging by how they had little leftovers and they hadn't gone shopping, there wasn't much that they could have. He could probably cook up some boxed macaroni and cheese, but they didn't have much milk… and it would be cruel of him to have Yuuki 'fend for herself'; she hardly ate when given the option to cook for herself (since, you know, she wasn't the _best_ of cooks.) so it wasn't even an option to suggest such a thing.

In a desperate attempt to find food – as he didn't want to venture to the store so late only to come back even later – Zero rummaged through cupboards and drawers until he found two cans of chicken broth, enough bread and cheese to make some sandwiches, and some carrots that had yet to be sliced. While it wouldn't exactly be the same as homemade soup, he could probably settle for canned soup and carrots, and grilled cheese sandwiches. The next evening he'd have to go shopping anyway, so he'd just pick up a few extra things for him and Yuuki to munch on throughout the day.

"Alright," he said softly, yet decisively. "Looks like it'll be another movie night…"

**-x-**

Yuuki stepped out of her shower feeling refreshed, the lingering happy feeling of being outside sending a little shiver up her spine. It had been a long while since she had gone out in the snow and actually _played_ in it – with Zero, no less – and she very much enjoyed it.

Even when Zero would intentionally kick over her halfway-finished snowman, making her have to start all over.

Her shoulder-length, chocolate-brown hair stuck to her soft neck and shoulders, the water becoming cooler as it trailed underneath the towel; there was something about this moment that just felt so… utterly calm to her, and she had to admit she liked it a little. Perhaps it was the fact that she'd been outside for the majority of the day and hadn't stopped until this moment. Yes, that had to be it.

Yuuki walked over to the little bench by the wall, fingering the long-sleeve shirt and pants she'd decided would be the perfect sleeping attire for that evening; the winter air outside had given her goosebumps before she even got out the door, and she could already feel her hair starting to harden and freeze. The toweled brunette noticed the little window was open beside the shower and she closed it hurriedly, feeling the icy slush be pushed into the air and drip down her slender frame as the towel slipped from her grasp. This caused her to recoil backwards with a little squeal, nearly slipping on the bathtub as she grabbed for the bench near the counter where her clothes lay.

After composing herself – and nearly falling – she found herself staring in her reflection in the mirror; she didn't look confused by her feelings like she had merely months before. For some startling reason, she hadn't thought about Kaname the entire time that she'd been here with Zero. (Or, well, she didn't find herself _staying_ on her dark-haired Pureblood hero, as she had someone else plaguing her mind lately.) As mahogany eyes looked back at her, she felt strength, and love, and something that may resemble… freedom.

_Freedom… from Kaname? I guess he was a little obsessive, but I wasn't some innocent little angel, either… _she remembered having dreams about him from time to time, of _both_ of them, and the memory made her shake her head in a flustered manner. _We were both obsessed. But, I've… I've found a new obsession._

A soft knock echoed in the bathroom, and Yuuki snapped out of her thought with a squeak, now suddenly embarrassed of the way she worded her own thought. The voice of her best friend flowed through the little crack of the Headmaster's bathroom door, and she began to get dressed. "Yuuki, you didn't fall in, did you?"

…_Almost,_ she thought, before puffing out her cheeks and pouting in her boy shorts and bra. "_No_, for your information! I am getting dressed, so beat it before I beat _you_, Kiryuu."

A little chuckle came from him, the kind that rumbled from his chest and made her shiver slightly, and she could almost see him grinning back. "Well hurry up; it's _my_ turn to pick out our movie tonight." Yuuki could only imagine the possibilities he could pick; he wasn't into the kiddy-type cartoons that played on the television, nor did he like some of the girly specials that the Headmaster purchased. For some reason, she imagined that he'd pick something rather violent.

When she finished dressing, donning her black sweatpants and a long-sleeve dark blouse, she picked up her towel and hung it over the bench, making her way out the door and into the hallway, where the air chilled around her. She made her way into the lounge, where Zero sat on the couch, with a little smile and joined him. Two bowls of soup steamed on the coffee table, and the orchestral introduction that Yuuki could always identify with '_It's a Wonderful Life_' played in the background. As she waited for her soup to cool, she snuggled up against her pale-haired partner, and the two fell into a companionable silence as the movie began.

* * *

><p><em>I sincerely hope that this makes up for the last couple of chapters being short and pointless. <em>^^;

_I can't believe how quickly the past few weeks have gone by, and it'll only go faster - too bad, I'm hesitant to let this actually end in SIX WEEKS. _;;

_Anyways, please review/subscribe to/favorite me and my stories! _

-Cookie-

**PS** - A fun fact: 'It's A Wonderful Life' is one of my favorite Christmas movies to boot and I was quite excited to weasel that in here. (Just pretend that there are Jap subs.. :p)

**PPS **- I am still accepting requests for _The Princess and Her Knight_! Its completion depends on if I get any more reviews! (There are two stories in the works, both requests, for this story)

ALSO _I'm thinking of writing some sort of funny, fluffy little VK series, maybe in the EB-verse. So, in your reviews -if you like- suggest musicals/movies/video games that you would like to see Yuuki and Zero sit and watch/play. I need to work on my humor a bit more and I figure that could actually help! (Also, maybe there could be guest appearances by people such as Sayori, Kaname, and the Headmaster! :D Lemme know what you think/your suggestions.)_

__-Cookie-


	20. 24 December, Part I

**AN: **_Twenty chapters have come and gone, which means five more remain! In commemoration of twenty chapters (and for EB being my official longest story written thus far) here are some story stats:_

{{ November Stats: **1,057 views; 317 visitors; 74 reviews; 49 followers; 42 favorites.  
>We've also got fans in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, Singapore, Philippines, France, Romania, Italy, Argentina, Mexico, Malaysia, Finland, New Zealand, Brazil, Sweden, Algeria, Germany, Poland, India, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Estonia, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Norway, Japan, Honduras, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Vietnam, Venezuela, Iceland, and Puerto Rico.<strong> }}

_Thank you all so much for your continued support. I absolutely love to hear from you guys about what I can improve -if you feel that I have to- or if you guys like/dislike my works. Since I don't want to get cheesy, I'll simply say I'm just so grateful for the people who've done whatever you can to help me out over my four years of being on this site. You guys are just amazing._

_That being said, please enjoy this installment! (I know I enjoyed writing it.)_

* * *

><p>The sound of snow and ice hitting the window woke Zero from his peaceful slumber, making his eyes shoot open as if someone were breaking in. He looked around before being nearly blinded by the television, which had turned to static in the chaos of the storm taking place outside. A little groan sounded from his throat as he fought to gather the strength to move, but he found himself caught underneath a second body.<p>

Without even looking, he could tell by the sound of a stable heartbeat and the warmth that flooded from her body that it was Yuuki.

He gathered that they hadn't even made it through the middle of the movie before they fell asleep. Zero, in the midst of his sleepiness, must have lie down against the arm of the couch and, Yuuki being Yuuki, had fallen atop his chest. He couldn't believe that he hadn't woken up; apparently, the hot soup and warmth that came off of Yuuki's body had lulled him into a deeper sleep than usual. (He was a rather light sleeper, an important trait for a Vampire Hunter.)

His right hand reached up to rub at his eyes… and he realized that fingers that were too little, too soft to be his were tangled with his own and he felt his cheeks burn a little. Even if things had happened between them that would make a normal boy flush, he couldn't help but get a little embarrassed at the little things that made his heart swell. He looked down at her form, her head nuzzled into his chest, her body curled atop his abdomen like a little kitten's.

He hadn't noticed just how absolutely _darling_ she looked when she slept until they were this close. It brought a little grin to his face before he reached out with his other arm to grab the remote for the television, flicking it off and tossing it back on the hard surface. His eyes shut in a cringe; in a short amount of time, he forgot that thinly-carved wood made a sound, and he felt Yuuki move atop him.

This was the second time she'd fallen asleep atop him, he recalled, and he couldn't necessarily deny that he felt much more at peace when Yuuki was so close to him. It was as if her cheerfulness bounced onto him, fighting off the pain he lived with so often, and for some reason… he preferred himself like this. He didn't like to be grumpy all the time, to hold people at arms' length.

He had grown up a boy with too big a heart to do such things. Granted, he was left home often to care for his brother when he was ill and unable to do so himself. (Not that he minded.)

His happiness had been taken away, but he always felt a bit of it come back whenever Yuuki was with him. It was as if watching her be so overjoyed at everything in her life was awakening the part of him that used to do the same. Ichiru had once told him that he was too kind a person to kill anyone, but this new hardened persona made him able to do it.

Before he'd met Yuuki – and in the first month or so of knowing her – his heart was covered with black ice, shielding it from the lightness of life, and yet... just simply _lying_ on the couch with her snuggled up against him made him feel a little uncharacteristically giddy like a child with a new toy. The hand not being held by his chocolate-haired angel reached to rest atop her cheek, giving it a little rub, before she twitched awake with a violent tremble.

Zero hadn't really noticed, but it had gotten reasonably _colder_ in here than it had been last night.

Silver brows furrowed in worry as he searched the lightening room – he supposed the sun was in the process of rising but had not fully risen yet – for the thermostat, and found it. The temperature he could barely make out, even with his heightened senses, and he got up from the couch, immediately being hit with the chilly air. He moved Yuuki off of him, setting her in his spot and wrapping her in a warm quilt, as he made his way over; the closer he got to it, the more obviously he shivered, his long arms reaching up to hug himself and rub at his arms.

_I-It's… barely 50 degrees in here! The heater must have broken due to the storm._

As he let out a shuddering breath, he could have sworn he saw his breath fan out in a white mist, and he let out a muttered curse; if the heater was broken, they had no heat and no hot water. Not to mention, the electricity had to be out as well, which meant no refrigerator or other appliances, no telephone, no television. A slight panic ran through Zero's system; the Headmaster usually was home in these conditions and kept lanterns and things usually brought camping in his office somewhere and it wasn't like he could call to check.

"D-Damn it…"

First thing was first; he had to get Yuuki in front of the fireplace, which was in the main living space across the hall. He had enough light to be able to maneuver, but he wasn't sure how much strength he had in these conditions considering his body didn't tolerate the cold well. Figuring he'd muster as much as he could – it wasn't like she was heavy or anything, so it shouldn't be too difficult – he tucked the quilt around her and picked her up into his arms, feeling a shiver shoot up his spine again as he began to walk out.

It seemed to be longest trek for the thin young man, even if it wasn't at all, and he found himself now entering the threshold to the living area. A little sigh escaped him, even if it was a burst of breath as he fought to keep from shivering again, and he passed a basket by the loveseat that held the thicker blankets. He grabbed two layers worth and set Yuuki on the couch, covering her once more with the quilt she'd been loosely covered in and tucking it into her before doing the same with the other two blankets. Convinced she would be warm enough, he ventured over to the fireplace and grabbed the poker to gather the coals from many days before, setting it back against the stone side and tossing in one of the logs kept in a pile by the side of the wall.

The matches were kept atop the mantle, and he leaned up to get them before striking one; he couldn't help but stare at his pale fingers as his hand shivered before tossing in the match onto the coals, catching onto the bark of the wood as well. Before long, the room was colored with the warm honey-yellow light, the red and gold from the tree's decorations bouncing onto the opposite wall and the ceiling.

A shuddering breath escaped Zero, the mist fanning out around him, before he found himself nearly immobile in the cold, sitting off to the side of the fire, his legs getting most of the warmth. He hoped the heat would turn back on before he got hypothermia.

* * *

><p><em>I hope you guys have a good Thanksgiving, or if you don't celebrate it, a good week.<em>

-Cookie-


	21. 24 December, Part II

Yuuki had woken up to warmth all around her, which made her very reluctant to wake. Her crimson eyes fluttered open, and she found herself staring into the fireplace, its light glowing about the room in a comfortable tone of orange. She tried to sit up but found it nearly impossible with the weight of the blankets on her. With a grunt, she arched her back and pushed herself to lean on her hands.

Immediately, she was met with the unpleasant cold, and she let out a little scream.

"A-Ah, it's so cold in here!" she squeaked, wrapping herself in one of the quilts. Her eyes scanned the room, though not quite adjusted to the sun shining through the window, and found herself staring at her pale-haired partner sitting off to the side.

His body was violently shivering, his arms hugging around his legs; he was enough in front of the fire where his legs were nearly on fire, but his upper body wouldn't stop shivering. _Did he… do this? _Yuuki found herself smiling slightly before she called out softly, "Zero?"

It seemed very difficult for him, but he picked his head up, and gave her a quivering smile. "Y-Yuuki, you're awa-wake. Th-The heat b-broke somet-time last night."

Her eyes widened, not at the fact that they currently had no electricity or heat, but at the very obvious fact that he had done everything in his power to keep her encased in her own heat as he sat off to the side, very close to getting hypothermia, and she was beginning to feel guilty. "Zero, you bonehead, you've got to be freezing!"

She got off the couch with a couple of quilts in her hands, putting them around his shoulders and rubbing frantically at his arms and cheeks, hissing at just how cold he was. "Go on the couch, and I'll make you some tea!"

She thanked her father for purchasing a gas stove, for it was still usable for them even in this cold. She grabbed the pot with a towel that happened to be lying off to the side and brought it over to the sink, turning the knob to the water on, noticing that nothing had come out of it. "The pipes have frozen, too… and, the weather is too horrible to go get him something from the store. Damn it…" for Yuuki to have cursed was a bit of a shock to her; she usually only did so when under a lot of distress. Her hands dragged through her hair as she did a not-so-good-job at hiding the panic that seemed to rest on her features. "No water, no electricity, no heat…" she was _so_ afraid, but she had to do her best at hiding it for Zero's sake, as now she had to be the one with a false sense of confidence. She made her way back into the living area with a worried look on her face, seeing Zero now wrapped under the blankets she had been moments before.

She found herself suddenly very afraid for his health – as if she wasn't already with him being a former-human vampire so close to losing his sanity – and moved to lie back down on the couch in the spot Zero had been laying hours before. "Here, lay on me. I'll keep you warm, Zero."

He hesitated for a moment, swallowing, before she pulled him down to lie on her chest. The quilts came with him, and she made sure to cover both all of him and her, and felt him nuzzle up against her bosom. "Y-Yuuki…" his voice was so strained, and she hugged around his shoulders, her fingers trembling as she felt how cold he was even through his shirt. She had to be careful not to start crying; she didn't want him to worry about her.

"It's alright, Zero. I'm here. I'll keep you warm."

With that, he wrapped his arms around her form and did his best to keep his eyes open, staring into the fire.

**-x-**

Yuuki remembered having held Kaname very similarly to this almost a year ago, after he had asked her to. He had said he was so tired, and she being the one who admired and loved him – or so she thought – did as he bade. They stayed like that, and back then it had brought her such joy and warmth to hold the man she'd come to know as her savior.

The situation back then gave her the same kind of feelings she had as she held her childhood friend. He had been lulled to a peaceful sleep with the warmth of the fire, heavy quilts, and her body around him. His body still shivered a little, but at least she was unable to hear his teeth chattering anymore. That was a good sign.

His arms that encircled her waist tightened during his slumber, and she found it very difficult to move in the limited space she had. Not that she wanted to, but even if she did, she would be stilled by his strong arms that, while holding onto her as if his life depended on it (which in a sense, it did), actually put her at ease, promising her protection from any danger that might threaten her. Yuuki was looking at the ceiling as he lay in her arms, and she found it safe to check on his features to see if her plan to warm him had worked.

One of her hands moved from his back to his cheek, moving some of the hair in his face behind his ear, before she found herself running her fingers through his hair. As she did so, his musky scent was thrown about their little cocoon of blankets, and she inhaled deeply; his scent reminded her of times spent playing in the fields as a child, when her father would either take her sledding or butterfly-catching. It reminded her of happy times spent here at Cross Academy, surrounding her in a sense of calm and happiness and _safety_. A little sigh escaped her, which stirred Zero awake.

His lashes fluttered and he looked up at her face, which looked pleasantly relieved that the color had returned to his cheeks. "Zero, thank goodness…" she said softly, her warm breath fanning out around him. His lips twitched and he sat up enough to see her face, but not to move the blankets from their place. Her hands reached to cup his cheeks, making him blink at her. "Are you okay now? How are you, are you hungry?"

The flame in the fire had dimmed, the embers still giving off heat, albeit little of it. He looked over to the fire, silently wondering if he should add another log, before swallowing. "I'm better, but how are you? Shouldn't I be worrying about you?"

As if on cue, her stomach growled, and she felt her cheeks flush. "No need to worry," her tone was a touch too happy, to which he tilted his head to the side a little. "We can find something together in a moment. I don't want to move yet."

The confession startled him a little, but he found himself reluctant to get up also, and he leaned his forehead against hers tiredly; the cold really did its number on him. "It doesn't sound too inviting to me, either. But we need to find something soon." As he spoke, his breath tickled Yuuki's lips, and she wrapped her fingers into his hair. The two lay like this for mere minutes, but they could have forever.

The sun outside was high in the sky, signifying that it was early noon. The house had warmed enough to make it maneuverable, but it didn't seem that the electricity or heat had come back on yet. This made Zero groan – or, was it the closeness of he and the one person he loved more than life itself? – and make the silent decision to move, unwrapping his arms from her waist and pushing the blankets up. He walked to the fire and threw another log in, hearing sparks shoot up and cover the wood, before he walked over to the thermostat.

Sure enough, it had just reached 65 degrees. They'd be fine.

Yuuki was also up in an instant, leaving the quilts over their spot in case they decided to meet there again to get warm. She made her way into the kitchen, brushing her fingers against Zero's as she passed, and he turned to glance at her retreated form before he followed. When he stopped in the doorway, Yuuki had pulled out things from the cupboards: canned soups, peanut butter and jams, and bread. They didn't have very many things that didn't need to be microwaved or heated in water. With a sigh, he figured they could make do.

* * *

><p><em>And, that's the end of the little bit'a fluff-and-then-some! One more little part of this arc, and theeeeen. You can guess what the next few chapters after that will be.<em>

_Oh, and someone a few chapters back asked me if Yuuki would be turned into a vampire somewhere in this story. And, your answer dear one, is:_

"No. Absolutely not."

_I hope you all enjoyed this installment. Please leave a review telling me what you liked, didn't like, etc. And feel free to subscribe to me or any of my (in-progress) stories~_

_ *** _**Random Question: **How do you think Zero and Yuuki would flirt with each other? List a couple of ways you can see them flirting in your review to this chapter. (Some examples I already have are tickling, wrestling, and playing with ones hands. Things like that.) ***

_See you next week!_

-Cookie-


	22. 24 December, Part III

It wasn't until dusk that the storm finally died down to soft flurries of mixed snow and rain. It wasn't a heavy fall, but it was still very cold, with winds blowing the leaves on the trees about frantically. Still too unsafe to make any trips to the store.

The heat had not come back on yet, but one by one, pieces of electricity were flickering on and off again, before staying on. The refrigerator made soft 'click!' and 'whirr!' sounds; the television cable box flickered on, the numbers "12:00" blinking. Lights that had been on during the time of the outage flickered to life. The microwave on an empty counter space blinked and beeped as it started to life once more.

In the bedroom of a very excitable, brunette prefect, there was a loud whooping sound. "Yes! The power's back on, the power's back ON!"

Footsteps ran to the door, swung it open jerkily, and pounded on the bedroom door of one pale-haired boy currently in the midst of changing into his pajamas, and as soon as he heard the frantic knocking he nearly toppled over. "Yuuki, sweet Christ, what is it?"

It was then that his bedroom light flickered back on, the alarm clock beside it blinking to life with a soft chime. Lavender-gray eyes widened in silent exultation, and he finished pulling on his pajama pants before swinging his door open, being met with the petite brunette flinging herself to his chest, spinning the pair around in her cheeriness. "Zero, the power! It came back on! The storm passed over!"

Zero looked over to his bedroom window, crossing over to the spot and pulling his curtains off to the side, taking note of the flurry twisting and turning in the strong winter winds. "Well, almost. This must be the end of it. Yuuki, go to the kitchen and see if the pipes are still frozen."

With a spin and dash, Yuuki trekked to the kitchen in a sprint before stopping in front of the faucet, turning the knob a little to see if it would drip. Sure enough, droplets of freezing-cold water dripped into the sink, and she turned it on a bit more; the higher the pressure, the less water came out. She settled for leaving it in drips for now to allow it to further melt the ice around their water pipes. Zero stopped in the doorway, heaving a sigh; the house had stayed relatively warm up to now, as he was sure to keep the fireplace going.

When he saw the delight on Yuuki's face, he couldn't help but feel a rush of confidence; things were finally starting to look up for them today. They started off the day with no heat, no electricity, no water. They both had to stay nestled in a tent of quilts stacked atop quilts with a fire burning in front of them. Zero had had the worst reaction out of the two of them, having almost contracted hypothermia had it not been for Yuuki.

She once again had saved his life.

_Nothing in the world could atone for what I've done to her, _he thought bitterly, unable to look away as she searched through the fridge for things that had not spoiled, happily humming to herself as if no bad had ever come to her once in her life. _But, nothing could ever change the way I feel about her. Even though I've become a bloodthirsty monster who craves… _he looked down briefly, running a hand through his hair before he found a fork shoved in his face, a green grape on the end of it. He bit into it, hearing Yuuki's little giggle in triumph as she fixed him a bowl. _…she will always be the most precious person to me._

His heart pounded in his chest suddenly; they had been together in the Headmaster's private estate, _alone_, and through the best and worst of times. Ichiru was in the hospital at the Association Headquarters, no one was there to keep an eye on them – both a bad and good thing, in his opinion – and both her adoptive father and his legal guardian were still fighting off a force that he should be involved in, too. After all, this army of former-humans and their Pureblood leader were targeting the top vampire hunters, and he was very near the top after receiving his official hunter's title that past fall.

_If it weren't for Yuuki being here too, I'd be there… I should have been there to protect Ichiru, and Master. _His eyes narrowed a little in silent guilt, which caused the brunette to halt in her putting-together of their meal. Crimson eyes stared at his face, shaded by his silver-white hair. Concern was the most evident emotion in her eyes, in her frown, and the way her hand reached out to silently calm him. She crossed the room, resting her palm on his forearm.

"Zero? Is… everything alright?"

The silver-haired boy snapped to attention, noticing he'd been lost in his thoughts, before clearing his throat and nodding tensely. "I'm fine, just… thinking."

Yuuki wasn't going to stop now. She jabbed his arm with one nimble finger, furrowing her thin brows. "Thinking about what?"

_I can't tell her, _he thought suddenly, clearing his throat. "It's nothing."

Her eyebrow twitched, clearly unamused. "That's bull and you know it, Zero." Slender arms crossed over her chest and she noticed him look at her in slight surprise; obviously, she wasn't going to back down. Not this time… she made a promise to herself to not let him shut her out and that was plainly obvious now, especially to the light-haired former human. "And what about these thoughts, hm?"

_Just drop it, Yuuki. Please. _He didn't want her to be upset with him, but he didn't want to let it slip that he wanted to be fighting. Yuuki being Yuuki, she would take it as 'I'd rather fight some force that could kill me than spend time with you'. Well, shit.

When Zero didn't answer, Yuuki decided that she could _not_ take it anymore; she was getting nowhere, and it was obvious Zero would rather be lost in his thoughts than do anything with her. With a frustrated sob, she spun on her heel, continuing to make their dinner before slamming his plate on the island in the middle of the kitchen. Without a word, she picked up her plate and made her way past him, none-too-accidentally bumping her shoulder into his chest. He rubbed at the sore spot and watched her, knowing he was in trouble.

After all, Yuuki was _especially_ good at the 'Silent Treatment'.

**-x-**

The two friends ate in silence, which wasn't all that abnormal if it weren't for Yuuki making jerky movements with her fork, slamming the utensil down on the table when she was done. Her head hung in her hands and she had to keep from throwing her now-empty plate of crumbs and grape stems at the boy sitting across from her; he'd really done it now. She was sick of being shut out, and so casually too.

Some Christmas Eve this had been.

Usually, the Headmaster would sit down with the two of them – that is, only if Yuuki would have succeeded in getting Zero out of his dark bedroom – and either watch Christmas specials until he or Yuuki passed out, or would read to them 'Twas the Night Before Christmas', a tradition he came up with Yuuki was little.

While it was just the two Guardians, she thought it would be going a lot better than this.

After dinner, Yuuki had wanted to go look at the Christmas lights on the houses in town, but she didn't say so. She was still upset with Zero, and right now, she didn't want anything to do with him. At least, she didn't want to _say_ anything to him.

Zero did the dishes as Yuuki sat silently in front of the fire, adding a log in one last time before deciding they'd be fine until morning. After all, the electricity had come back which meant the heat wouldn't be too far after. Silent angry tears burned the corner of her eyes as she stared into the fire; she could see the flames dancing, twirling and leaping with grace. She looked closer, being able to distinguish the figures her imagination had cast into the fire. A short-haired boy lifted a short-haired girl into the air, and her heart placed feminine giggles and masculine chuckles to the figures.

Immediately, she recognized what it was that was happening… the girl was she, and the boy… _Zero_…

She couldn't be angry at him; there was a lot going on for the both of them, with what was going on with his twin brother plus the things that had gone on between them… there was a lot of stuff going through her head, too, and she was hiding it all from _him_. Her father and his condition, not to mention she was trying to sort out her feelings by herself, in the depths of her own mind, both simple and complex.

With a little sigh of defeat, she pulled herself onto her feet and turned to head toward the couch, sitting down on it a little tiredly. Her room seemed so far away now, and after the events of today – nearly losing Zero to hypothermia was downright terrifying – all she wanted to do was snuggle up in her comforter and sleep until the next morning.

The floorboards in the hall creaked, and the lean former-human looked in at her, eyes filled with concern. He finished towel-drying his hands before swinging the towel onto his shoulder. "I can finish picking up. Why don't you go to bed?"

Yuuki wasn't angry anymore, but there was nothing wrong with making Zero believe that she was. So, in a huff, she got up and made her way to the archway, pushing past him with another heavy sigh. "Fine. Goodnight, Zero."

"Night," he said softly before chewing the inside of his cheek. When her door shut, he went back to the kitchen to finish putting away the dishes he'd washed.

When the kitchen was clean and the dining room sparkling, he made his way back to the back living area to sit in front of the fire. The flames seemed to be dimming, so he predicted he'd be up another half-hour before the fire would die down. To quicken the pace, he grabbed the poker and pushed the hotter remains of debris away from the log, watching as the log collapsed on itself, sending sparks into the air. He covered his face with his sleeve and let out a soft cough.

The fire burnt out not long afterward, and Zero couldn't be gladder. He separated the remaining hotter pieces from the rest of the log and sighed in silent victory when the heat began to swim out into the room. Figuring there wasn't much more he could do, he grabbed the smoke screen laying against the wall and set it in front of the fireplace, before making his way over to the tree and turning the lights on.

A somewhat peaceful smile graced his features when he remembered setting up the tree with Yuuki – and the kiss they shared short thereafter – and with a sharp inhale, he flicked the light off and exited into the hall, headed in the direction of his bedroom.

Things would be back to normal in the morning. For her, and for him.

* * *

><p><em>So, a little bit sad, but I'm content with it. The fire scene.. I don't know, I feel like I've read that somewhere, because I'm not quite creative enough to picture that for myself, though I suppose it could be possible if it were in a different fandom. The dancing flames seems a little cliche to me is all.<em>

_But anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed the twenty-second installment. Three chapters to go; my heart is starting to ache._ xD; _I don't think I've been this attached to a story before... maybe _'_Reunions are Bittersweet' solely because it was my first real multi-chapter story ever. _-shrug-

_Review, subscribe to myself and my story(/stories) and I'll see you next week.~_

-Cookie-

**PS **Still accepting requests for 'The Princess and Her Knight'; once done processing the ones I have, if I get no more, it'll be called 'Complete'.

**PPS **Potatoes.


	23. 25 December, Part I

The morning sun shone through thin silk blinds, the warm golden light bouncing off of wood floors and scattered colored paper, sending blasts of honey-yellow and red and green onto a white ceiling. Birds twittered outside her window; a delightful tune reserved especially for today. Other birds – whether the creatures were clever enough to intend it or not – joined in, adding their own melodies, adding harmonies. It was absolutely beautiful.

Outside, a thick blanket of snow covered the ground, a light flurry of flakes still falling from light gray skies. A light breeze blew outside, but it made no noise. At least not where the sleeping Yuuki was concerned.

Warmth flooded over her, and she knew her heart was pounding; Christmas was always the one holiday where she could feel nothing but happiness, despite what snow reminded her of. _White snow… red blood… __scary vampire__._

Dark lashes fluttered when another soft song fluttered into her room from under the door. It sounded cheerful, but at the same time, somber. When Yuuki opened her eyes, her crimson eyes slowly shifted to her door, and she sat up. Her pale yellow pajama top, the one that defined her shoulders, with the white lacy collar, was exposed to the glow of morning, only deepening the rich tones, bringing out each thread. Her crimson eyes brightened as realization dawned on her that today was it; it was the day that Zero would finally receive the gift she'd spent her entire allowance on. And, it was also the day that he would also realize that he meant the world and more to her.

The melody that caused her to wake was clearer to her now: "Carol of the Bells" by none other than the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The one song she absolutely delighted in waking up to, especially when it was not just any wintertime morning, but Christmas morning. With a delighted, warm feeling in her chest, she swung her long legs out of bed and ran to her bureau to pull out her favorite pair of slipper-socks – white, fuzzy, with the school's rose emblem in black near the top – and slipped them on before opening her door.

The smell of cinnamon wafted into her nose and she inhaled as she walked down the hallway. There was nothing better than Zero's warm, fluffy cinnamon rolls, made from scratch and only saved for one of three special occasions; Yuuki's birthday, Easter, and Christmas mornings. Her heart fluttered as she neared the archway leading into the kitchen, and witnessed a site she never would've thought she'd see.

Zero could've been mistaken for a God, for as Yuuki rounded the corner and stood in the doorway, the morning sunlight – warm, golden – bathed his pale features – silver-white hair, violet eyes, paler-than-pale skin – in a new, golden glow. He looked positively beautiful, in his light gray nightshirt and pajama pants, wearing an embarrassingly cute pink apron with the adorable face of a kitten on the top.

(The Headmaster had one of the weirdest tastes in clothing, she mused.)

"Zero!" her voice was nothing short of a gasp, and the fair-haired boy looked to her with a happy sparkle in his formerly distant and cold eyes. A soft smile graced his features. "Oh, wow, I'm suddenly so _hungry_!"

She'd opened herself for attack, but to her surprise, he merely chuckled and went to the oven, opening it and taking out golden, fluffy rolls that looked like they were _marinated_ in liquefied cinnamon. Drool dripped from her lips as she went over to gaze at the masterpieces that lay cooling on the countertop beside the stove, away from where Zero was finishing preparations for their morning festivities.

"Oh, wow…" Yuuki breathed in amazement as Zero mixed something in a bowl, walking over; for as long as she could remember, Zero had always been a spectacular cook. He could cook – or bake – anything and make it turn out better than some snooty French pastry chef. (Yuuki imagined Zero speaking in a thick French accent, and kept her composure long enough to let her mind drift back to reality, where she giggled loudly to herself.)

Zero looked at her as if she had two heads – she might as well; her head wasn't nearly big enough to hold all of her strange, very-_Yuuki_-like antics – one light brow raised at her giggling. "What? You honestly can't be surprised that there are cinnamon rolls. I bake them every _year_."

His voice wasn't as irritated as he tried to make it sound; through the entire time they'd been at the house, just the two of them, the side of Zero that kept Yuuki at arms' length had melted away. Whenever he started to get irritated, his mind would stray to Yuuki; her big eyes, her loving heart, her beautiful smile… Her want to keep him calm would immediately cause his mind to stay on her and never stray. Honestly, it was a little embarrassing sometimes.

"I know!" Yuuki sighed, giving him a slightly agitated look – _Come on, Yuuki, who're you trying to kid? _She thought – before rounding on him with a bright expression on her face. "And, every year they get better than the last years'!"

Zero rolled his eyes, but inwardly, he was smiling. Compliments were no rarity with Yuuki, but only hers had the ability to make him melt on the inside. "Yeah, yeah," he murmured before shifting the bowl onto his arm and ruffling her hair. "Just don't drool too much, or I'll make you get the mop."

His playful tone went almost unnoticed, and Yuuki punched him in the arm. After wiping her chin with her pajama sleeve – well, what do you know? She had been drooling – she ran into the living room to dig around the small pile of gifts – most were from her, and some she'd brought out from the closet in the hallway, ones that were from the Headmaster to the both of them – for hers to Zero. Her heart pounded when she found the long-in-width box, wrapped in violet paper with a bright red ribbon.

_I have no regrets_ Yuuki sucked in a breath before placing onto one of the tree's branches with a smile and light blush on her cheeks. _I have no doubt in my mind that Zero will love the pendant. I… I have no doubt in my mind that we're not going to be just friend after this. We're so much more than that now. _

Zero walked into – more like peeked his head inside the archway of – the living room, giving her his trademark scowl (his eyes still twinkled, against his lips' wishes) and muttered, "Breakfast, Yuuki."

It was music to her ears as she scampered onto her feet and exited the living room before she all but sprinted to bring in the cinnamon rolls and a pitcher of orange juice as he flipped the last of the pancakes and eggs. Once he finished, he brought in the pancakes and eggs on a large platter and took off the apron with quick, jerky movements – he hated that stupid, girly-looking thing… it only looked good on Yuuki – and watched as Yuuki sat at one side of the table. He went back one final time into the kitchen to grab their plates and silverware, placing Yuuki's in front of her and setting his on the other side.

"Dig in," he said, prepared to look Yuuki in the eye for one final second before she became the raving food lunatic that she was. But, alas, she'd already started, and he fought the urge to smack his head against the table.

But… he couldn't help but grin at her. Yuuki is and always will be Yuuki.

_She'll always be the only girl I'll ever love._

* * *

><p><em>Poor Zerorin, has to deal with Yuuki's piggish tendencies all alone. <em>-cackle-

_I hope you enjoyed this, and that you feel so inclined as to favorite, subscribe (well, alert) and review!_

_I have but one thing to say about the next chapter, and that is, you better have your tissues ready. Lol. (Ornotit'suptoyou)_

-Cookie-

**PS - **_Still accepting requests for 'The Princess and Her Knight'._

**PPS** - _14 more days until Christmas! _:'D


	24. 25 December, Part II

**A/N **I had planned to make this the very last chapter - give or take a different ending - but added on the Epilogue to officially wrap things up. (You won't be able to see that until next week, though. ;D)

* * *

><p>As Yuuki cleaned up after breakfast, Zero brought the dishes into the kitchen, stealing a side-long glance as the girl became suddenly wrapped-up in doing the dishes. Little to no food was packaged away for leftovers; the two teenagers had eaten more than they both had anticipated, but it wasn't any surprise. Yuuki always ate more than he did, and he had close to three helpings of breakfast.<p>

Her piggish tendencies were rubbing off on him, he figured.

When he finished bringing in the dirty dishes, Yuuki shooed him away, insisting that she could do it on her own. He knew better than anyone that she wouldn't accept his help once she set her mind to doing it on her own, so he said he'd get changed. She giggled loudly, and his heart beat rapidly in his chest. He hated it – no, he liked it, a _lot_ – when she giggled like that. His knees went weak for a moment, but he caught himself as he walked into his bedroom.

The gift he'd saved just for today was hidden in a secret compartment in his closet, where one of the floorboards was loose. It was covered by a small rug, put in by the Headmaster; Zero kept all of his most special items in there, which comprised a shoebox filled with pictures of he and Yuuki, ranging from when he first arrived, to their school pictures from this school year. (He'd considered skipping school pictures, but Yuuki had dragged him out of bed, dressed him in nice casual attire – one of few times Cross Academy students are allowed to wear something other than their uniforms – and did his hair for him. He couldn't have possibly avoided getting his picture taken that entire day.)

He crossed into his room, into his closet, and slid the rug out of the way to slide the floorboard out of place. The warm sunlight provided him the light source he needed to fish around for the small paper bag, marked 'To: Yuuki'. When he grabbed onto it, he let out a soft "Yes!" and pulled it out, looking into the bag and internally giving himself a pat on the back for keeping it safe and out of her eyesight – which is rather hard to do, especially around Christmastime, because Yuuki was a very curious girl.

And, while Zero was grinning himself, he was unaware of Yuuki in her own bedroom, getting out her present to him.

**-x-**

Unlike Zero, Yuuki wasn't very conspicuous when it came to hiding things. Her childhood friend was perceptive and practically a genius, at least compared to her; it wouldn't have taken him very long to find her gift to him, even if he wasn't actually looking. In a way, Yuuki couldn't stand that her friend was so much smarter and observant than her.

She scurried over to her bedside drawer and pulled out the freshly-wrapped (in blue wrapping paper with a silver and white-striped ribbon, with a white bow stuck in the corner) box, priding herself in the art of gift-wrapping and how she only had to rewrap it three times the night before – when she'd 'stormed off' into her bedroom. A giddy, child-like giggle escaped her before she went back out of her room and into the main hall, hearing Zero shutting his bedroom door behind her whereas she left her door open.

"Are you excited?" Zero asked, undoubtedly sarcastic, and Yuuki turned her head slightly to stick her tongue out at him. "Oh, brilliant response," he deadpanned, causing Yuuki to spin and glare at him, sticking her tongue out once more. The fair-haired Level D just couldn't resist anymore, "You're three for three."

That earned him a smack to the chest, to which he let out a startled cough before they continued their trek down the hall and spun into the living room.

As Yuuki was the first to enter, Zero hadn't yet had the chance to when he heard her gasp loudly, and he immediately jumped to action, running in behind her before his eyes widened in shock.

"Z-Zero?"

"…"

"Did… did you put the star on the tree last night?"

"No…"

Yuuki gulped, and a spark of hope sent her stumbling back a step, her lip trembling a little. "Then… then who did…?"

Tears stung her wide eyes – the only one who usually put up the star was her father, but he said he wouldn't be home. Her heart beat loudly like a bass drum now; she wasn't sure which direction to go, to her bedroom or her father's room. "Zero. Do you think…?"

The boy looked down at her, putting his hand on her head, giving it a little encouraging rub, before steering her in the direction of her father's room. "Only one way to find out, right?"

With a slight nod, she ran down the hall and skidded to a stop outside her father's room. Zero was right behind her, but all that mattered was finding out who put the star on the tree. She put her hand on the door, her other on the knob and slowly turned. Behind her, she heard Zero press his hand to her shoulder as if pushing her inside.

He had never seen her run so quickly in his life.

For there, standing in his usual attire of long pants, tan jacket and green shawl, was her father. His glasses were in his hands, his hair not pulled back yet, not like he'd have had much time to anyway. When father and daughter locked gazes, tears fell to the ground, and not the humorous, melodramatic ones. To say the reunion was touching was an understatement, truly, and Zero couldn't resist stepping inside to watch the scene in all its glory.

Another understatement would be that Zero was shocked when Kaien opened his arms to the light-haired boy as well.

Zero was no fan of closeness, or any touching really, but the ice that had shielded his heart for five years had forever melted away. He took a step forward, but stopped; he wasn't going to intrude on something so beautiful. Obviously, however, this didn't sit right with the pair, and Yuuki looked up at him with a bright smile and walked over to him, grabbed his hand, and tugged him over.

Kaien's arm wrapped around the boy's shoulders, and once again around Yuuki's back, and the three shared a group hug so tight, it was a shock that they still had room to breathe – Zero, while wasn't exactly embracing back as tightly as Yuuki was, had his arm around Yuuki's back, holding onto Kaien's arm as his other arm hung down at his side.

And, for the longest time, neither children nor father pulled back.

"Welcome home, Father."

**-x-**

Kaien oversaw his two children in the living room after the three had brought out the remainder of the gifts hidden in the older man's closet, Yuuki now sitting on the floor by the fireplace and Zero sitting at the corner of the couch. The larger boxes had been passed out to their respective giftees, and it was time for the smaller gifts.

Zero and Yuuki both got up simultaneously, giving each other slight smiles – and, Yuuki with a light blush on her face – before exchanging gifts. Zero, while not truthfully surprised, stared at his gift with awe; what could possibly be inside? Yuuki seemed perplexed also, but more so at the fact that Zero hadn't given her something silly, like a cookbook on baking chocolates – which, she woefully would admit, she sucked at doing – or a pair of platform shoes – to poke fun at her height.

"Well?" Kaien, obviously, was stuck on the edge of his seat; he had been present when Zero had acquired Yuuki's gift, but he had no idea what it was that Yuuki had gotten for Zero. He was more curious than a grown man – especially one who had lived for nearly 200 years – should be. "Come, come, open!"

Yuuki looked to her father, as did Zero, before they met each other's gazes and nodded. The time it took to unwrap the boxes was slow and agonizing, and their hands each touched the top. "At the count of three," Yuuki chided softly, more to herself.

"Okay. One."

"Two…"

"Three."

Zero took off the lid to his box, and his fingers delicately went into the tissue paper, before a surprised noise was made. He fingered the chain of the pendant, looking up at Yuuki before lifting it out of the box, staring at the silver dragon with the tourmaline eyes. "Yuuki…" he whispered, a smile twitching at his lips.

A soft smile appeared on her soft, pink lips, before she opened the small box in her hand. Crimson eyes widened, and she could hardly stand, crashing onto the sofa behind her; inside the small box was a silver band between two small slabs of velvet. There wasn't anything too special about it; no jewels were engraved inside it, but there was a certain… warmth to it. She blabbered wordlessly, looking at Zero with wide eyes. "Zero… what… did you…?"

"I know it isn't anything special," he said plainly, his voice soft as he knelt in front of her. "But… but I had the Association's blacksmith make this as a special order," he paused as he saw fresh tears sliding down her face; he was just full of tricks to make his best friend cry.

Kaien cut in now, putting his hand on Yuuki's shoulder. "Yuuki, do you know how a Hunter's weapon is crafted?"

The brunette wiped at her face, sniffling softly. "Isn't …it crafted from a metal that was fused with the heart of a Pureblood vampire…?"

"Yes, dear," the blond-haired Headmaster nodded. "And, Zero wanted to do something similar, because he cares for you." The brunette nodded, feeling Zero's hand close around hers. "So, he… he had the blacksmith infuse it with a drop of his blood."

This sent more tears cascading down Yuuki's fair features, before she pulled the ring out and slipped it onto her middle finger. "Z-Zero, it's… it's so beautiful… I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything," Zero's fingers intertwined with hers, and she looked up at him, sniffling. "I'm glad you love it, Yuuki."

Kaien got up from the couch, giving his daughter and son-in-spirit some privacy. Of course, he hadn't forgotten to snap a picture from over his shoulder when Yuuki placed the smallest of kisses onto the corner of Zero's lips.

* * *

><p><em>Eeh? Eeh? How did I do, eeh? <em>*wink/nudge*

_...I'm not sure if it was happy-ending-y enough to whip out the tissues, but I will admit that I got a little misty-eyed when I wrote that part in the middle... Sigh. I wish my family was as close-knit as theirs, tear._

_So? Did you like it, hate it, love it, or not care for it? Leave a review! (Feel free to favorite and alert me and this -andallofmy- stories too!)_

-Cookie-

**PS; **SEVEN MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS! *does a happy dance*


	25. Epilogue - New Years' Eve

_And this, my lovelies, is the final installment for this story... _*tries not to get all melodramatic* _...so I just wanted to take a moment to thank you guys so much for subscribing to this story and sticking with me for so long -it's been over a year guys, and I couldn't ask for better readers- I hope you guys enjoy, please remember to leave a review, or favorite, or whatever. One -or all three- is just fine. _c':

_So, this is it. I hope you guys have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, whatever. Happy Belated Hanukkah, too! _

_Much love.  
><em>

_-AnimeCookie93-_

* * *

><p>Balloons dotted around the ceiling, occasionally bumping into one another and sending colorful balls of helium across the room. Streamers lined archways and lengthy hallways, leaving no wall un-decorated. Along the kitchen table were several of Kaien's appetizer-dishes; finger sandwiches (comprising cucumber sandwiches, tuna salad, chicken salad, and egg salad), rolled cold cuts, freshly-chopped salsa and veggie dip, and assorted chips (corn and potato, mostly).<p>

The main living room was filled with people; Kaien had convinced a few Hunters to stop by and watch the ball drop, as well as Sayori and her family. The excitable Headmaster had even gone so far as to consider inviting Kaname, but thought against it, as Zero and Yuuki had begun to work on their more romantic relationship as of late.

…Speaking of, where had his daughter gone with that Zero Kiryuu?

The spastic adoptive father roamed the halls of his own villa, peeking into his, Yuuki's, and Zero's bedroom, before bumping into the door to his study. Surely, they weren't…

He opened the door and waved his hand inside, as if expecting a bullet from _Bloody Rose_ to shoot at him. When nothing happened, he threw the door open and declared, "You unhand my dear daughter, you…!"

…but again, nothing.

Nothing but an empty study, with his stray papers scattered around the floor and his desk. Not even his candle seemed to have been lit, and then blown out (as Zero would have to make haste in getting the pair out of the Headmaster's precious study). Nothing was out of place, except for the Headmaster's sanity.

"Ooh, where could they have gone?"

A knock just barely met his ears, and the light-haired retired Hunter glanced over, perking up at the sound. He dodged several people wishing to congratulate him on a successful New Years' Eve party, in hopes of greeting his daughter and her unofficially official boyfriend. "My darling daughter!" he burst into a fit of melodramatic tears before even touching the door knob, and grinned from ear to ear as he swung the door open and threw his arms around the closest body, nuzzling its cheek.

…it didn't feel as _soft_ as he'd remembered.

"Headmaster Cross, please!"

"Yo, Headmaster Spaz."

Kaien froze; he recognized these two voices and, while one was deep and the other brighter, they didn't belong to his daughter and Zero. He slowed his actions, putting his hands on broad shoulders, feeling a surprised grunt as he pushed himself far from the body and glanced into first brilliantly-bold blue eyes, and then into lavender.

"It's…" the tears that were only in his head had stopped flowing, and his mouth flapped silently before a bright smile and _real_ tears reached his eyes. "It's Yagari! And… and Ichiru! Welcome home!"

Ichiru – the same height and appearance as Zero, but a much lighter tone to his voice, and with silver hair longer and tied back in a crimson-colored ribbon – and Yagari both sheepishly grinned at the Headmaster, though Yagari had the almost comical audacity to dismissively wave his hand around. "Yeah, yeah, we're home, you crazy old man."

Of course, Kaien dismissed the jab to his age, and enveloped Ichiru in a light hug – as the fair-haired boy was currently counting on a cane to get him around, as the major wound to his torso hadn't yet healed – before patting his cheek.

"Excuse me, Headmaster," Ichiru started, looking around; his lavender eyes seemed to be looking for something – or someone – but he couldn't quite seem to find what – who – he was looking for. So, he hobbled his way inside, being greeted by Hunters he had met at the Association during his training. It was Yagari who pointed out the obvious.

"Where's Zero? You assured he'd be here to greet his brother when I brought him home."

Kaien pushed his glasses up, catching the light of the lamp lighting up the room beside him. "I'm wondering the same; I haven't seen Yuuki, either. I'm sure wherever they are, they're safe and well. I just wish I knew what was taking them so long."

**-x-**

Yuuki was aware her father's party had started some time ago, and honestly, she couldn't bring herself to care too much about that.

"Zero, I don't know about this…" she clutched his hand nervously as they made their way toward the horse stables; for some reason, her fair-haired partner had decided it would be a great idea to ride with her to their spot atop a hill, under the base of a large willow tree. On White Lily; the beast from Hell who just happened to hate her guts.

_Great_.

"Oh, Yuuki, it'll all be fine," he reprimanded softly, giving her a small smile. He seemed to do that more often, smile at her. He'd found his reason to smile, after all. "She's pretty calm as long as you… don't talk to her, or touch her, or touch _me_…" …his posture seemed to deflate before he smacked his forehead. "You're right, you're doomed."

_That jerk, _Yuuki sent him a glare and punched him in the side, resulting in the light-haired vampire yelping. "I could always ride Maple; at least _he's_ kind to me."

…Zero rolled his eyes at her, not handling her teasing well, before taking his hand away. "If that's how you feel, then maybe we should forget it."

Of course he was joking; he had to fulfill this promise to himself, and to Yuuki. This was his final chance to show that he was willing to give up everything to be with her. He just… he worried about her reaction, and what she'd say. After all, they'd been together – as childhood friends, as partners, as guardians – since he was twelve, and she eleven.

He _loved_ her and, despite the pressure bestowed upon him – it wasn't his fault a Pureblood also loved her… - he would do whatever it took to cross the gap between friendship and what he – and she – secretly wanted.

"No, Zero, you idiot," she smiled, grabbing both of his hands and tugging him forward, she now walking backwards, "We're gonna wait for midnight together. A-And, if you want me to ride White Lily with you, th-then…" she looked down, and he stopped them from moving; the large moon above them acted as a spotlight as they stood by the stable doors. "Then, I will suck it up and do it!"

_So determined_, he mused, before bending down to peck her on the lips. "I know. But, Maple's ready for you, and you better not make him wait." He released her hands, walking around her to make his way over to White Lily, who whickered excitedly as her only rider acknowledged her with a rub of her large nose. The brunette stuck her tongue out at the silver-white-haired boy, who chortled quietly to himself as he unlatched the rope to Lily's pen, and mounted her.

Yuuki's horse, Maple – a small Palomino Kaien had once stumbled upon some time ago, around the same time White Lily came to stay – neighed happily as his rider came to him and offered him a piece of apple she'd hidden in her jacket. As she unlatched the rope to his pen, the white mare across from them grunted and was led out.

"I'll meet you at the hill, okay?" Zero called as Lily didn't seem to want to wait, and Yuuki had opened her mouth to retort, but… the white mare had galloped away.

Pouting, the brunette saddled her horse and mounted, clicking her tongue to start him and gently kicked him into a gallop out of the stable, leading him up to the base of a large hill, where the large white moon seemed to hide behind the falling leaves of a large willow tree.

**-x-**

"Oh, wow…"

After both horses were roped to a wooden fence – away from each other enough for the mild-mannered mare not to be irritated by the easygoing Palomino – Zero and Yuuki walked hand-in-hand up the large hill, where under the willow tree, a large quilt was laid into the grass. In the middle of the quilt was another quilt, undoubtedly to wrap around them when it got chilly. Zero pushed up a patch of hanging willow leaves, ushering Yuuki inside, before lowering it back down again.

A gentle breeze blew her hair out of her face, and Zero and she sat down on the quilt. "Zero, this is so amazing, and simple… it's beautiful."

Lavender eyes stared into mahogany; the energetic brunette's eyes glittered happily while his eyes remained tranquil and rid of any unhappiness. He definitely loved looking at her, in her new pretty deep-violet dress that reached to her mid-thigh, and ruffles that trickled to her knees. A black ribbon wrapped around her waist, tied into a bow to add a touch of femininity to her ensemble. Pieces of her pin-straight, chocolate-brown hair were clipped back and out of her face.

Zero wasn't quite so festive; just his white button-down dress shirt and a pair of jeans were enough for him, his hair combed and out of his face momentarily. He tended not to get too dressy, and Yuuki thought that was just fine; she loved that he didn't deck himself out – so to speak – for sitting in the grass. Not like _she_ did.

(And, if it was any consolation, she _was_ wearing a pair of shorts underneath, and always carried a spare T-shirt with her in a large satchel that was attached to Maple's saddle.)

"How much longer until midnight?" the brunette inquired.

"Not for another forty seconds, Miss Impatient," Zero teased as the chirpy brunette grabbed up the spare quilt and draped it over his shoulders as she settled in between his legs, enveloped by his large arms.

A comfortable silence – more like, silent tug-of-war to see who'd speak first – blew with the wind around them for what felt like hours but was in fact mere seconds, before Yuuki looked up at him, curling into a ball. "Zero?"

"Mm?"

"What… do you think would happen if Father found us?"

…Zero flinched, not wanting to think about something so crazily _terrifying_; while the Headmaster was in no way a threat to him, he was still the father of the girl he loved, who he now held in his arms as if it were nothing. Yuuki pretended not to feel him shudder. "I honestly wouldn't care," he lied, "I could die here and be perfectly content with it." _And, that's the truth._

Yuuki smiled at what he implied, nuzzling her face into his chest. "And, Zero…"

"Yuuki, can I ask you something?"

The brunette blinked, having been interrupted; was it finally going to happen? Was he going to ask? Would their questions finally be answered, and their feelings finally confessed? She looked up slowly, her eyes shining questioningly up at him. "Sure, anything!" she chirped.

"Do you think…" _10… _"…that you could ever…" _9… _"…see yourself with someone…" _8… _"…like me?"

_7…_

Yuuki could feel her eyes tearing up and, involuntarily, her thumb rubbed along the silver band on her middle finger. _See myself with… Zero? _She couldn't say that the thought had never crossed her mind, that the two of them would be _together_ like he hinted to, and she couldn't imagine anyone better for her. He balanced out her excited, spastic persona and she brought out the best in the young Hunter. _It seems almost silly not to, with what's transpired over the past couple of weeks._

_6… 5…_

"Someone like you?" the brunette echoed back, the tears streaming down her face in thin ribbons that glistened against the moonlight. "Why, it would make me so… incredibly…"

_4…_

"Disgusted?" he supplied, his voice soft and low. "Embarrassed? Crazy?"

_3… 2…_

Yuuki wiped at her eyes desperately before smacking his chest; he really should stop berating himself. "No, you idiot… so incredibly _happy_.

Fireworks were sent up into the air, reds and yellows and blues illuminating the hanging willow tree leaves, dotting the two lovers in a warm array of colors as they greeted each other in a warm embrace. Tears streamed down Yuuki's face as she held her best, closest friend in her arms. Zero, while he would never admit it, had one of the brightest expressions on his face that he would only remember because it was Yuuki who had brought out such an expression.

A small hand reached up to brush against Zero's extremely fair skin, her fingers combing into the hair behind his ear. Their bodies got so close to each other – a closeness they couldn't deny was only meant for them – and Zero couldn't stand it. He pressed his nose into her hair, feeling Yuuki burrow into Zero's shirt, and for the first time in a very long time, Zero had never been happier.

For the first time in his whole life, he could finally have the very thing he'd always wanted…

…and nothing – or _no one_ – would ever break them apart.

_Because, no one can break a bond made to last eternity._

~o~

**END**


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